Church Commissioners

Churches: Energy

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the Answer of 22 December 2022 to Question 102787 on the Energy Costs Grant, whether the Commissioners have now gathered feedback to examine (a) how much of the Grant dioceses have allocated, (b) by what mechanism dioceses have distributed that funding and (c) what proportion of the Grant was used to supplement the Ministry Hardship Fund.

Andrew Selous: All dioceses took up the Energy Costs Grant, and none has returned unspent sums. The National Church Institutions intend to gather detailed feedback from dioceses in the Autumn on how dioceses distributed grants to their parishes and what proportion was used to supplement the Ministry Hardship Fund.

Churches: Security

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what guidance has been published to assist with the security of churches.

Andrew Selous: The Cathedral and Church Buildings team of the National Church Institutions has been in touch with all Diocesan Advisory Committees to remind them of its security guidance, which is also available on the Church of England website here: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/security-and-crime-prevention The guidance includes details of safes that are compliant with current standards. Advice on the locking of churches during the day has not changed despite the recent spate of burglaries. Historic England and Ecclesiastical Insurance advice is that existing security alarms be extended to include the church safe, or the room in which the safe is housed.

Church of England

Alberto Costa: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, which Church of England legislation, Measures and Canons provide a description of the functions and responsibilities of Oversight Ministers and Co-Area Deans; and what the functions are of the Launde Minster Community Oversight Minister, Revd Jonathan Dowman, commissioned on 30 April 2023 by the Bishop of Leicester.

Andrew Selous: Clergy of the Church of England who are officeholders generally hold their roles and responsibilities according to their current appointment and Statements of Particulars, with the duties of bishops, priests and deacons being set out in the Ordinal and the Canons. The responsibilities of area deans more particularly include those set out in legislation, but their specific roles are defined at the local level. Some diocesan roles, such as Co-Area Dean or Oversight Ministers, are not defined in legislation but may refer to a particular role in a diocese. The engagement of diocesan clergy and staff is not a matter for the National Church Institutions. It would be best to contact the offices of the Bishop of Leicester, the Archdeacon of Leicester or the Archdeacon of Loughborough, who will be able to give more details about what is envisaged for these roles. Contact details can be found on the diocesan website here: https://www.leicester.anglican.org/whos-who

Church of England

Alberto Costa: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what information the Commissioners hold on whether the Minster Community model reduces (a) church attendance and (b) parish giving.

Andrew Selous: The Church Commissioners have not received any formal parish reorganisation proposals or impact assessments relating to the Minster Communities model. Enquiries about the Minster Communities model should be directed to the offices of the Bishop of Leicester, the Archdeacon of Leicester or the Archdeacon of Loughborough. Contact details can be found on the diocesan website here: https://www.leicester.anglican.org/whos-who

Clergy

Alberto Costa: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Commissioners are taking steps to help ensure that ordained priests are not expected to officiate in parish churches of a different tradition in a way which (a) they and (b) the parishioners are not comfortable with.

Andrew Selous: Management of a diocese and the ordering of parishes is a matter for the diocesan bishop and their senior staff, not the National Church Institutions.Clergy, retired clergy and lay ministers regularly offer cover across dioceses during vacancies, an incumbent’s illness, or for other pastoral reasons. The diocesan bishop and local archdeacon are responsible for overseeing this process.

Clergy

Alberto Costa: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many ordained priests are available to perform the Occasional Offices in Leicestershire parish churches.

Andrew Selous: From the records held by the National Church institutions and the diocese, at the present time the Diocese of Leicester has the following ordained clergy and lay ministers:134 clergy43 curates117 lay ministers (including Readers, Evangelists, Pastoral Assistants, etc.)122 Permission to Officiate (often retired clergy)

Clergy: Leicestershire

Alberto Costa: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many ordained stipendiary priests are proposed to serve each Minster Community in Leicestershire; how frequent the Commissioners expect the provision for Holy Communion in each church to be; and how many such priests have been identified as ready to (a) serve in Minster Communities and (b) provide Holy Communion, not by extension.

Andrew Selous: Management of a diocese and ordering of parishes is not a matter for the National Church Institutions (NCIs), but for the diocesan bishop and their senior staff in discussion with the diocesan mission and pastoral committees and liaison with parishes. The NCIs are aware that in October 2021, 72% of the Leicester Diocesan Synod members voted in favour of the Minster Community model.   Enquiries about the Minster Communities plan should be directed to the offices of the Bishop of Leicester, the Archdeacon of Leicester or the Archdeacon of Loughborough. Contact details can be found on the diocesan website here: https://www.leicester.anglican.org/whos-who

Church of England: Leicestershire

Alberto Costa: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many Minster Communities are proposed in Leicestershire; and how many parishes are proposed in each.

Andrew Selous: Management of a diocese and the ordering of parishes is a matter for the diocesan bishop and their senior staff, not the National Church Institutions (NCIs).  The NCIs are aware that in October 2021, 72% of members of the Leicester Diocesan Synod voted in favour of the Minster Community model. The Church Commissioners, as the appeal body for any formal parish reorganisation, are unable to comment further as it may prejudice future decisions of the Mission, Pastoral, and Church Property Committee should Leicester Diocese decide to bring forward formal parish reorganisation proposals.Enquiries about the Minster Communities plan should be directed to the offices of the Bishop of Leicester, the Archdeacon of Leicester or the Archdeacon of Loughborough. Contact details can be found on the diocesan website here: https://www.leicester.anglican.org/whos-who

Clergy: Vacancies

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what the average length was of vacancies for a parish (a) incumbent and (b) priest-in-charge in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous: Parish priest appointments are a matter for diocesan bishops. Data about the number of vacancies for incumbents and priests-in-charge per annum in parishes across the 42 dioceses of the Church of England are not held centrally by the National Church Institutions. It would incur a disproportionate cost to assemble and present the information requested

Clergy: Vacancies

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many parishes have a vacancy for (a) an incumbency and (b) a priest-in-charge in each diocese; and how many (i) incumbent and (ii) priest-in-charge vacancies there have been in each diocese in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous: Parish priest appointments are a matter for diocesan bishops. Data about the number of vacancies for incumbents and priests-in-charge per annum in parishes across the 42 dioceses of the Church of England are not held centrally by the National Church Institutions. It would incur a disproportionate cost to assemble and present the information requested.

Clergy: Ordination and Retirement

Damien Moore: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Commissioners are taking steps to reduce average lengths of time between (a) the retirement and enthronement of bishops in dioceses and (b) the retirement and consecration of priests in parishes.

Andrew Selous: Diocesan bishops are appointed by the Crown on the advice of the Prime Minister following a recruitment process overseen by the Crown Nominations Commission. Every effort is made to appoint suitable candidates swiftly, however an interregnum is often necessary to allow the Vacancy in See Committee to consult on and produce an up to date statement of needs. Suffragan bishop appointments are overseen by the diocesan bishop, who is required to present a role description to the Dioceses Commission so that an assessment can be made of mission and ministry needs, capacity and resources in the diocese. Parish priest appointments are a matter for diocesan bishops.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Buildings: Repairs and Maintenance

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to provide financial support for (a) councils and (b) private tenants whose buildings were built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and now need remedial work.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department issues on the financial support available to (a) councils and (b) private tenants whose buildings were built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and now need remedial work.

Lee Rowley: Building standards are a devolved matter, it is for the Scottish Government to determine the action that should be taken on affected buildings in Scotland. In England, building owners are responsible for ensuring their buildings are safe and should act quickly to fix any dangerous defects.

Affordable Housing

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the supply of affordable housing.

Rachel Maclean: The Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing. We are currently investing £11.5 billion through our Affordable Homes Programme which will deliver tens of thousands of homes for rent and sale right across the country.Since 2010 we have delivered over 632,600 new affordable homes, including over 441,612 affordable homes for rent, of which over 162,800 homes have been for Social Rent.The Mayor of London, through the London Plan and Housing Strategy, sets out where homes should be built and what level of affordable housing is required. They can also allocate funding from the Affordable Homes Programme to housing associations and local councils who build homes.

Housing: Solar Power

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if she will publish a list of official sources of advice for groups of residential leaseholders wanting to add solar heating to an existing or replacement roof.

Rachel Maclean: Individual residences can find tailored and impartial information on how to improve the energy performance of their homes on gov.uk. This is part of the Government's three-tiered consumer advice and information offer, consisting of the 'find ways to save energy in your home' website, launched in July 2022, a new phoneline service launched March 2023 and the local in-person advice which will launch in due course. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is responsible for solar panels and heating.

Housing: Construction

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps her Department plans to take increase the number of homes built in 2023.

Rachel Maclean: Since 2010, over 2.2 million additional homes have been delivered across England. This includes over 232,000 homes for the last year for which data is available – over 75% of the way towards our goal of ensuring there are 300,000 new homes a year.We have announced £10 billion investment in housing supply since the start of this Parliament, with our housing supply interventions due to ultimately unlock over 1 million new homes over the Spending Review 2021 period and beyond.We are also investing £11.5 billion in the latest Affordable Homes Programme to provide tens of thousands of new homes across the country.

Housing: Construction

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department plans to take to increase the number of housing developments being built on brownfield sites.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question 129970 on 31 January 2023.

Renters (Reform) Bill

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on when the Renters (Reform) Bill will receive its second reading.

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on when the Renters (Reform) Bill will receive its Second Reading.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 187383 on 7 June 2023.

Green Belt

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will make a comparative assessment of the (a) trend in the number and (b) scale of planning applications made by developers for greenbelt sites since (i) 1 January 2022 and (ii) 22 December 2022 in (A) Hertfordshire and (B) England with the average of those made in each of the last five years.

Rachel Maclean: The analysis required to provide the requested information could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.

Private Rented Housing: Social Security Benefits

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to outlaw blanket bans on private renters (a) with children and (b) in receipt of benefits.

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to outlaw blanket bans on private renters (a) with children and (b) in receipt of benefits.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 187385 on 7 June 2023.

Housing: Energy

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps he has taken to progress the review of the planning barriers that households face when installing energy efficiency measures, due at the end of 2022.

Rachel Maclean: We will announce the outcome of the review in due course.

Renters (Reform) Bill

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to his oral Answer to the Question from the hon. Member for Christchurch on 5 June 2023, Official Report, for what reason he has not yet published the impact assessments for the Renters (Reform) Bill submitted to the Regulatory Policy Commission on (a) 24 March and (b) 16 May 2023.

Rachel Maclean: I refer my hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 185473 on 22 May 2023.

Coal: Regeneration

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to increase investment into former coalfield communities.

Dehenna Davison: This Government is committed to levelling up the UK by spreading opportunity more equally across the country, investing in places that need it most, including coalfield communities.Several former coalfield communities are benefiting from our Towns Fund, our Community Ownership Fund, and our £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund.Finally, every area of the UK will receive a share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which empowers local places to identify and build on their own strengths and needs. It provides £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much and what proportion of the Shared Prosperity Fund has been allocated in each year for which information is available; what proportion of that funding was allocated to science, research and development and innovation; and what information her Department holds on how that funding was spent in each region.

Dehenna Davison: Funding is confirmed for three financial years - £400 million for 2022-23, £700 million for 2023-24 and £1.5 billion for 2024-25, all local allocations can be found on GOV.UK.Places have been empowered to identify and build on their own strengths and needs at a local level, which can include funding science, research and development and innovation related interventions under the 'supporting local businesses' pillar of the Fund. However, it will be for places to decide how much of their allocation they spend on science, research and development and innovation depending on their locally identified priorities.Allocations are managed locally, but DLUHC will collect spend and performance data captured through routine reporting.

Public Houses: Empty Property

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the loss of pubs as community facilities as part of his High Street Rental Auction policy; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to require the High Street Rental Auction scheme to (a) protect integral pub infrastructure in empty premises and (b) ensure ancillary accommodation for licensees is not lost as a result of sub-division of a premises in order to protect against the permanent loss of pubs as community facilities.

Dehenna Davison: This Government recognises that British pubs lie at the heart of our communities and will often be a much valued community asset. They not only support local economies and provide space for communities to come together, but the best pubs provide important community services, such as support for vulnerable people, creating a sense of community pride.High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) will be a permissive power for local authorities, which they can use alongside other regeneration tools at their discretion. They aim to tackle the problem of persistently vacant property on high streets and in town centres and empower places to tackle decline by bringing vacant units back into use. HSRAs seek to increase cooperation between landlords and local authorities, and to make town centre tenancies more accessible and affordable for tenants, including SMEs and community groups.

Levelling Up Fund

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the (a) format, (b) criteria and (c) bidding window for levelling up Round three will be published and timetabled.

Dehenna Davison: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 181062 on 26th April 2023.

Community Ownership Fund: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many community ownership fund applications have been made (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London since the establishment of that fund.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding was awarded through the community ownership fund to applicants in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London since the establishment of that fund.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many applications to the community ownership fund have been made by the London Borough of Enfield since the establishment of that fund.

Dehenna Davison: So far, there have been a total of 17 applications from projects in the London region, four of which were successful and were awarded a total of £985,000 We have so far received no applications from projects in the London Borough of Enfield but hope to do so in the future. We have just launched Round 3 of the Community Ownership Fund and invite any projects interested in applying to submit an expression of interest to the fund through the link on gov.uk.

Social Services: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding his Department has allocated to Solihull Council via the Social Care Grant.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding his Department (a) allocated and (b) allocated to Enfield Council via the Social Care Grant.

Lee Rowley: The Social Care Grant, totalling £3.852 billion in 2023/24, is ringfenced for adults' and children's social care.Allocations for councils are set out in the Social Care Grant Determination 2023 to 2024.

Council Tax Reduction Schemes: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding his Department allocated to Solihull Council via the Council Tax Support Fund.

Lee Rowley: The department has published council tax support fund allocations for all relevant local authorities here. The department will also be providing New Burdens funding to cover the cost of administering the scheme, allocations for which will be announced shortly.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he received the independent assurance review of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council; and when he plans to publish (a) that review and (b) his response to it.

Lee Rowley: The independent assurance review of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is being finalised. The final report will be published on the gov.uk website. I will write to the council and local Members of Parliament following publication.

Homelessness: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding his Department allocated to Solihull Council via the Homelessness Prevention Grant.

Felicity Buchan: This Government is investing over £1 billion into the Homelessness Prevention Grant between 2022 and 2025. Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council received £902,010 for 2023/24 and has been allocated £915,037 for 2024/25. The full list of allocations for local authorities in England is available here.

Imperial War Museum

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has visited the Imperial War Museum (IWM) Holocaust Galleries; and whether he has been briefed on the IWM Learning Programmes.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the (a) duration and (b) cost of holding a competition for designing a Holocaust memorial in (i) Parliament Square, (ii) Abingdon Gardens and (iii) at the north end of Victoria Tower Gardens that would be opened within two years.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much has been (a) spent and (b) committed by (i) the Government and (ii) Government agencies to the proposal for a National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

Felicity Buchan: The Minister with responsibility for the Holocaust Memorial, Baroness Scott of Bybrook, has visited the Holocaust Galleries and been briefed about the Imperial War Museum's work.The Government has spent £17.8 million on the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. Details of any future spend will be set out in the usual way.

Department for Education

Office for Students: Freedom of Expression

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, where the post of Director of Freedom of Speech in the Office for Students was advertised; who was involved in recruitment decisions for that post; and how many people applied for that post.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the criteria used by the Office for Students to assess the suitability of candidates for its new Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom post.

Claire Coutinho: The role of Director of Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom was advertised on the Times Higher Education website.Officials at the department managed the recruitment process. The essential and desirable criteria against which applicants were assessed were included in the job advert, which can be sent to any members interested. The department received 16 applications for the role.An interview panel was chaired by Hannah Sheehan (Director of Higher Education Quality in the department) and joined by Lord Wharton of Yarm (Chair of the Office for Students) and Robert Colvile (Director of the Centre for Policy Studies), who joined as an independent panellist.The Director was appointed by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, in the same way that other board members of the Office for Students are appointed under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.

Postgraduate Education: Childcare

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of including full-time Postgraduate researchers in free childcare support eligibility.

Claire Coutinho: The Childcare Bill policy statement, published in December 2015, is clear that parents who are studying will not qualify for 30 hours free childcare, unless they are earning and meeting the income criteria.Students, including postgraduate researchers, who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at national minimum or living wage, and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, will be eligible for 30 hours free childcare. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education entitlement, which is available to all three and four-year-olds regardless of their family circumstances.The department is not currently planning to extend the income criteria for 30 hours free childcare. We recognise the value of parents continuing in education and provide a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare.The department introduced new support packages for students starting Postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards, and Postgraduate Doctoral Degree Courses from 2018/19 onwards. These loans are not based on income and are intended as a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs, including childcare. The new support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring that the student support system remains financially sustainable.Students studying on postgraduate courses can apply for loans towards their course fees and living costs, up to £11,836 in 2022/23 for new students undertaking postgraduate master’s degree courses and up to £27,892 in 2022/23 for new students undertaking postgraduate doctoral degree courses.The department remains committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare, and we continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use government-funded support they are entitled to.

Schools: Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help promote awareness of freedom of religion and belief in schools.

Nick Gibb: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.All schools in England must offer a curriculum that is balanced and broad and that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical development of pupils.Pupils should be taught about different societies and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain. This can include the experiences and voices of people from all backgrounds. The curriculum offers many opportunities for schools to do this, notably through citizenship education and relationships, sex and health education.Within the citizenship curriculum, pupils should be taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom, and the need for mutual respect and understanding.In delivering the curriculum, schools should be aware of their duties relating to political impartiality as set out under the Education Act 1996. Schools must ensure that, where political issues are discussed in the classroom, they are presented in a balanced way.Schools also have a duty to promote the fundamental British values, including the mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Developing and deepening pupils’ understanding of these values is part of the Ofsted inspection framework, alongside expectations that schools develop responsible and active citizens and promote an inclusive environment that meets the needs of all pupils, irrespective of their characteristics.

Pupils: Refugees

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide additional support for students who have entered UK schools through the (a) Ukrainian, (b) Hong Kong and (c) Afghanistan resettlement schemes.

Nick Gibb: All pupils, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to education between the ages of 5 to 16, and are free to apply for a school place at any time.The Department is clear that the best place for all children to be educated is in school, and that attending school is vital to help newly arrived children integrate as quickly as possible into the communities in which they are living.The Department has supported arrivals via humanitarian and resettlement schemes through the provision of funding to Local Authorities for all arrivals aged 2 to 18. This funding was paid in the 2022/23 financial year for those who arrived via the Homes for Ukraine scheme and in both the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years for those who arrived from Afghanistan and lived in bridging accommodation. Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-for-ukraine-education-and-childcare-funding, and: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-education-grant.

Schools: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has allocated to Solihull Council under the Basic Need Fund.

Nick Gibb: The Department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support Local Authorities to meet their statutory duty to provide sufficient school places. Funding is calculated using Local Authorities’ own pupil forecasts and school capacity data.In March 2023, the Department announced Solihull Council will receive just over £7.8 million to support the provision of new school places needed for September 2026. This takes their total funding allocated between 2011 and 2026 to just over £41.2 million. Basic Need capital allocations are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-allocations.

Countryside: Education

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to ensure young people in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London have access to learning in nature settings.

Nick Gibb: In April 2022, the Department released its Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. Key initiatives included ‘The National Education Nature Park’ and ‘Climate Action Award’. These programmes will engage children and young people with the natural world and directly involve them in measuring and improving biodiversity in their nursery, school, college or universityIn May, as part of this initiative, the Department announced £15 million of funding to help young people in nature depleted areas, which will enable schools, colleges and nurseries to create opportunities for outdoor learning in natural settings.Young people in Enfield may already be taking advantage of activities run by London’s National Park City Rangers.By 2025, the Department aims to introduce a natural history GCSE, giving young people a further opportunity to engage with and develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of the natural world. In studying this GCSE, young people will explore organisms and environments in more depth and gain knowledge and practical experience of fieldwork. This new qualification adds to fieldwork opportunities already available in subjects such as geography. As we deliver on our climate change strategy, the Department will continue to work across Government to identify opportunities for young people to access learning in nature settings.

Programme for International Student Assessment

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether schools in England will participate in the next PISA creative thinking assessment.

Nick Gibb: England did not participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 creative thinking assessment, the results of which will be published in 2024.The organiser of PISA, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, has not announced whether the creative thinking assessment will be repeated in a future cycle of PISA.

Dedicated Schools Grant: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has allocated to Solihull Council as part of the Dedicated Schools Grant.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has made available to Solihull Council through the PE and sport premium in each of the last five years.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has made available to Solihull Council through the Teachers’ pay grant in each of the last five years.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has allocated to Solihull Council through the teachers' pension employer contribution grant.

Nick Gibb: This Government is committed to providing a world class education system for all children and has invested significantly in education to achieve that. The Autumn Statement 2022 announced additional funding of £2 billion in each of 2023/24 and 2024/25, over and above totals announced at the 2021 Spending Review.The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allocation for the 2023/24 financial year for Solihull Local Authority is £111,607,639, after recoupment and deductions.The Teachers’ Pension Grant allocation for 2022/23 for Solihull Local Authority is £163,559. The Teachers’ Pension Grant supports schools and Local Authorities with the cost of the increase in employer contributions to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Since 2021/22, most of this funding has been paid through the DSG, instead of as separate grants.The Teachers’ Pay Grant and PE & Sport Premium allocations for Solihull Local Authority for the last five financial years can be found in the table below:Financial yearTeachers’ Pay Grant allocationsPE & Sport Premium allocations2022/23£57,882*£739,1582021/22£58,119*£769,0902020/21£1,030,502£855,6172019/20£898,062£952,7382018/19£401,676**£972,870 * The bulk of the funding for the Teachers’ Pay Grant was rolled into the DSG from 2021/22.** September 2018 to March 2019 only.Through the Primary PE and Sport Premium, the Department has allocated over £2 billion of ringfenced funding to primary schools to improve PE and sport since 2013. Schools can use this funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of the PE, sport and physical activity they provide.The Department announced on 8 March 2023 over £600 million of Primary PE and Sport Premium funding across the next two academic years to support schools in providing more opportunities for pupils to be active by accessing high quality PE and school sport. This funding commitment will look to improve the quality of PE and sport provision in primary schools and will help children benefit from regular activity.

Ceramics: Manufacturing Industries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with her Cabinet colleagues to promote careers in the ceramics manufacturing sector through schools.

Robert Halfon: High-quality careers information, advice, and guidance is key to helping young people to make informed decisions about their future. This includes the ability to find out about and consider different careers options available, such as in the ceramics manufacturing sector.Whilst an essential element of careers advice is that it is impartial, the department works with the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to support schools and colleges to embed best practice, so that young people are aware of the full range of careers and have access to meaningful encounters with a range of employers and workplaces.The department funds Careers Hubs, which lead partnerships of secondary schools, colleges, employers, Local Enterprise Partnerships, local authorities, and careers providers to help young people connect closely to local skills and economic needs through a responsive careers education programme. Through this network, schools can make links with employers from a wide range of sectors who are working with schools and colleges to improve careers education to support young people to make informed choices, and to develop the skills they need and employers want.The CEC can work with business and sector bodies to help them to engage with schools and colleges across England. Sector bodies can register their interest via the CEC at: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/employers/industry-partnerships/. Individual employers can also register their interest to support schools and colleges through the Enterprise Adviser Network or as a Cornerstone Employer via the CEC’s Employers webpage at: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/employers/. Cornerstone Employers are a flagship group of employers from a range of sectors that work with networks of schools and colleges to improve careers education and ensure key skills for their sector are understood by teachers and education leaders.In addition, the National Careers Service, a free, government-funded careers information, advice, and guidance service draws on a range of labour market information to support and guide individuals. The Service website gives customers access to a range of useful digital tools and resources to support them including ‘Explore Careers’ which includes more than 130 industry areas and more than 800 job profiles. These include a range of manufacturing roles, and describe what those roles entail, qualifications, and entry routes.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the effectiveness of personal, social, health and economic education in delivering public health messages.

Nick Gibb: Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) became statutory in September 2020 and health education is compulsory for all pupils in state funded schools. It covers a number of public health topics, including healthy eating, the importance of exercise and teaching children about how to look after their mental health.The Department has contracted with IFF Research to undertake quantitative and qualitative research into the quality of implementation, including teacher confidence in teaching the statutory requirements.The findings from this research will inform the review of the RSHE statutory guidance which is underway, and will consider what improvements might need to be made. The Department anticipates that the final report from IFF Research will be published in early 2024. Details of the IFF Research contract can be found here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/0cc4d6b1-d266-459e-aaee-f5e22e4ad4c6.

Apprentices: Minimum Wage

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of whether the National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices is adequate, in the context of increases in inflation; what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the adequacy of rates of pay for apprentices; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices to 80 per cent of the National Minimum Wage on (a) take up, (b) completion rates and (c) outcomes of apprenticeships.

Robert Halfon: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The government is committed to ensuring that apprentice pay supports the attraction and retention of talented individuals into apprenticeships.The department recognises that apprentices may be experiencing financial pressures because of rises in the cost of living. In November 2022, the department accepted, in full, the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation to increase the Apprentice National Minimum Wage by 9.7% to £5.28 from April 2023. This increase will help to counter the impact and the department continues to provide financial support to encourage more apprenticeship opportunities for young people.Many employers choose to pay their apprentices more than the national minimum wage rates, recognising the value that apprentices bring to their workplace. Our data shows that average hourly pay for apprentices’ ranges between £8.23 for Level 2 and £14.02 for level 6.The independent Low Pay Commission is responsible for advising government on annual changes to minimum pay rates. Its recommendations follow a period of extensive research and consultation with employers, sector representative bodies and government stakeholders. The consultation began on 23 March and closes on 9 June 2023. As with all other relevant stakeholders, the devolved administrations are welcome to contribute evidence.The Commission has committed to keeping the Apprentice Rate under close review and will continue to assess whether a separate rate for apprentices is still justified. The full report can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1129930/Low_Pay_Commission_Report_2022.pdf.Furthermore, the department makes £1,000 payments to employers and providers when they take on apprentices aged 16-18, which can be used to support costs such as wages, uniforms or travel, and we are increasing our care leavers’ bursary from £1,000 to £3,000.

Higher Education: Liability

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to legislate for an additional statutory duty of care for students in higher education.

Robert Halfon: It is a departmental priority that students are provided with the mental health support they need so that everyone, regardless of the challenges they face, is given the opportunity to thrive.The department understands the arguments for a statutory duty of care and shares the aims of those calling for this, which are to protect those who study at university and to prevent future tragedies. If creating a statutory duty of care in this space was the right way to achieve this, it would have the government’s full backing. However, the department believes creating such a duty for higher education (HE) providers is not the most effective way to improve outcomes for students.Currently, a duty of care exists in common law as part of the law of negligence. This legal position is recognised in Universities UK guidance. The department is aware that the decision in Abrahart v. University of Bristol is being appealed in the High Court and will be monitoring this closely.There are other relevant legal protections that already apply. The Equality Act 2010 imposes a duty on providers to make reasonable adjustments where students with a mental health disability would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage. Providers must also fully observe health and safety obligations and requirements to safeguard vulnerable adults, as well as contractual obligations.There may be unintended consequences of legislating at this time. There is a risk that a one-size-fits-all prescriptive approach might stifle new and innovative practices, given there is no consensus yet on which interventions are most effective. While HE providers need to provide excellent pastoral services, we must be careful not to place a duty on them which requires them to provide services the NHS has more specialism in delivering.The department believes there are more effective solutions to improve outcomes for students in the near term. Our approach is focussed on three pillars:Funding and resourcing vital servicesSpreading and implementing best practiceClear responsibilities for providers and protection for students.As part of the first pillar, the department has asked the Office for Students (OfS) to distribute £15 million this academic year so support can be targeted towards students who are starting university for the first time. This funding will also enable effective partnerships between providers and local NHS services so students can better navigate the pathways for mental health provision.Through our second pillar, we are challenging the sector to deliver on supporting student mental health, including by setting a target for all eligible universities to sign up to the Mental Health Charter by September 2024. The department is confident the sector will rise to the challenge, having made great progress with the production of robust frameworks for best practice over recent years If we do not see a proactive and positive response from the sector, the department will not hesitate to ask the OfS to explore targeted regulation to protect student interests.We have also made clear to the sector that we expect all relevant providers to follow broader best practice guidance shared with them by Universities UK and mental health experts.Through work with the LEARN Network, the Student Support Champion Professor Edward Peck has identified areas for further improvement, which forms the third pillar of our approach. To deliver on this, Edward Peck will Chair a Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce, which will produce a plan for better early identification of students at risk, a University Student Commitment on dealing with students sensitively on disciplinary issues, and a set of clear targets for improvements in practice by providers. The Taskforce will include parent and students, mental health experts, and sector representatives. An interim plan is expected to be put in place later this year, with a final report to follow by May 2024.The department wants to ensure all universities can learn from tragic instances of suicide by ensuring lessons are shared across the sector. A National Review of University Suicides will be commissioned, to be carried out by an independent organisation.We owe it to our students to do even more to protect their mental health and wellbeing. This can only be achieved by the government, the sector, experts, parents, and students working together collectively towards this shared goal.

Home Office

Immigration: Applications

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for how many (a) visa and (b) other immigration applications have processing times been affected by (i) information technology and (ii) other technical faults in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to present the first annual report monitoring her Department's progress on the strategy and delivery of 10-year drug strategy From Harm to Hope.

Chris Philp: Each relevant Secretary of State has accountability for delivery of the elements in the drug strategy, From Harm to Hope, that lie within their department’s remit. As the Combating Drugs Minister, I have overarching accountability for the strategy and delivery of the ambitions and commitments, and will present an annual report to Parliament to monitor progress.The report is scheduled for publication in summer 2023 and will contain an update on progress on work funded by the strategy.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason Afghan refugees are being moved from York.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office currently does not have any Afghan bridging hotels in York. To help people rebuild their lives here, we have a duty to end the practice of families living in hotels in the UK. This is in the best interests of families and individuals and will enable them to benefit from the security of housing and long-term consistency of public services. This includes schooling, and the freedoms of independent living that only suitable non-hotel accommodation can provide. Further information about the support that the government has stood-up can be found at New support for Afghans in UK hotels to find settled housing - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Travel Requirements: Sudan

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) passports and (b) other identity documents submitted to the Khartoum Visa Application Centre before 15 April 2023 (i) remain in the Khartoum Visa Application Centre, (ii) are being held by the Nairobi Visa Application Centre, (iii) are being held in countries neighbouring Sudan, (iv) otherwise remain in UK Government custody and (v) have been returned to applicants.

Robert Jenrick: Where our records confirm that a customer’s passport is being held in the Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Khartoum, UK Visas and Immigration have contacted all those customers that have been issued or refused visa applications in our VAC in Khartoum and offered them a letter confirming that their passport is securely stored and attaching a digital copy of their passport, that may help support their travel out of Sudan and into a third country.Where our records show that the passport is held in Nairobi or Pretoria and a named individual (either the applicant or a designated 3rd party) is identified to return the passport to outside of Sudan, the passport can be sent (to the named individual) by courier or for collection from another visa application centre. UK Visas and Immigration have contacted all those customers. For customers that have been able to exit Sudan, processes are in place to re-direct printing of their visa and endorsement on a Form for affixing a visa (FAV) to another VAC location of their choice for collection.

Psilocybin

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the (a) date and (b) minutes of the meeting referred to in The Official Report of 18 May 2023, Vol. 732, Col. 1038, between her Department's Chief Scientific Adviser and the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Officer in the Department of Health and Social Care on the topic of the rescheduling of psilocybin.

Chris Philp: The meeting referred to in Hansard was on reducing barriers to research into controlled drugs, rather than on the rescheduling of psilocybin. It took place on 28 April 2023.The Home Office has no plans to publish minutes of this meeting, which was intended to support the provision of advice to Ministers.

Nitrous Oxide: Misuse

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department plans to assess the impact of controlling nitrous oxide as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and what estimate she has made of the cost of this policy to the public purse in the next five years.

Chris Philp: The Government will conduct a full Impact Assessment before implementing control of nitrous oxide. This will include consideration of the impact control will have on levels of nitrous oxide misuse, as well as the impact control will have on businesses with legitimate requirements for nitrous oxide, the public sector, and other identified groups. This will examine the cost over a 10-year appraisal period and will be published on the GOV.UK website.It is not our intention to hinder or place undue burden on those who wish to use nitrous oxide for legitimate purposes or to unduly impact businesses. To support our understanding of the uses of nitrous oxide and how best to exempt legitimate use, the Government published a consultation - Nitrous oxide: legitimate uses and appropriate controls - which seeks views from organisations and people who use, or might wish to use, nitrous oxide in the future for legitimate purposes. The consultation runs until 27 June and is available on the GOV.UK website.

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has not posted meeting minutes on its website since 16 May 2013; and if she will ask the Council to provide copies of those minutes.

Chris Philp: As the ACMD is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), sponsored by the Home Office, its operation and working practice is a matter for the ACMD.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much and what proportion of the £35 million announced in the Afghan Resettlement Update has been distributed; and to which local authorities this funding has been distributed.

Robert Jenrick: Additional funding of £35 million has been announced for local authorities to deliver increased support for Afghan households moving from hotels into settled accommodation.The related funding instructions were issued on the 23rd of May 2023 and are available to view at: Afghan schemes: funding instructions 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)We are continuing to work with local authorities and other partners including Department of Levelling Up Health and Communities and Cabinet Office to speed up the resettlement of Afghans into longer term housing, so they can successfully make Britain their home and benefit from the security and stability of long-term accommodation.

Immigration: Overseas Students

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Written Statement of 23 May on Immigration update, HCWS800, how many international students switched out of the student route into work routes before their studies were completed in each of the last ten years.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of international students studying in the UK were subsequently granted skilled worker visas in each of the last 10 years.

Robert Jenrick: e Home Office does not routinely publish data on how many international students switched out of the student route into work routes before their studies were completed.Data on how people move through the immigration system, including the number of those who initially came on a student route and switched to work routes, are published in dataset MJ_D01 of Migrant Journey report.

Visas: Overseas Students

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the number of dependents of individuals who entered the UK on student visas also entered the UK in each year since 1997.

Robert Jenrick: Our published data on the number of dependents of those who entered the UK on student visas can be found in the available Migration Statistics on GOV.UK, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2022/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-to-study

Visas: Overseas Students

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of dependents of individuals who entered the UK on student visas also entered the UK were removed for overstaying their visas in each year for which data are available from 2010.

Robert Jenrick: These figures are not available in a reportable format and providing information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Visas: Applications

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was charged in fees for rejected visa applications in each of the last five years.

Robert Jenrick: The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.If a visa application is rejected by the Home Office as invalid, the visa fee paid will be refunded minus a £25 administrative charge, as specified in the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018. If the visa fee paid is £25 or less and the application is rejected as invalid, the whole of the visa fee will be retained by the Home Office.

Visas: Applications

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications for UK visas have been rejected in each of the last five years.

Robert Jenrick: Data on the number of applications that have been rejected is published as part of the Home Office Migration Transparency data. For 2019-2022, the information can be viewed here Visas and citizenship data: Q1 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Asylum: Hotels

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure asylum seekers accommodated in hotels are not unnecessarily relocated to hotels where an individual or family has reason to remain in an existing location because they have (a) have settled in an area, (b) have children in a local school, (c) are in receipt of healthcare and (d) are in receipt of maternity care.

Robert Jenrick: Relocations between asylum accommodation are kept to a minimum, but may be needed for operational reasons. Under the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999, the Government is required to provide accommodation to asylum seekers that would otherwise be destitute. It is Home Office policy to offer accommodation on a no choice basis except in exceptional circumstances: Allocation of asylum accommodation policy (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Domestic Abuse

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Domestic Violence Protection (a) Orders and (b) Notices were issued by each Magistrates Court in England and Wales in the last 21 months for which data is available.

Miss Sarah Dines: DVPO (domestic violence protection order) and DVPN (domestic violence protection notice) data are not recorded by magistrates’ courts.His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICRFS) collect DVPN/O data and this has been published annually by the ONS here Domestic abuse in England and Wales - Appendix tables - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) for 2016-2018 and Domestic abuse and the criminal justice system - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) for annual data since 2019.Prior to 2017 data was published directly by HMICFRS here PEEL assessments data - His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk) with 2015 being the first year the data was published. In 2015 only data on DVPOs issued are available. Not all police forces could provide data to HMICFRS in each data year and so the figures in the below table may underestimate the number of DVPOs and DVPNs granted. Data published by HMICFRS was published in 12-month periods from July-June. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publication tracks DVPO/Ns issued in a 12-month period from April-March. A breakdown of these figures can be seen in the below table.Table 1: Number of Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Notices issued YearDVPOs issuedDVPNs issuedHMICFRS published - 12 months leading to June 30th20153,813-20163,7064,358ONS published - 12 months leading to March 31st20173,6984,01720184,8784,21920195,8594,34920206,2674,46820217,99510,046202210,16711,336

Anti-social Behaviour: Enfield

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of reported incidents of anti-social behaviour in (a) Enfield North constituency and (b) the London Borough of Enfield.

Chris Philp: On 27 March, the Government launched the Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan giving the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies the tools they need to tackle anti-social behaviour.The Office for National Statistics annually publishes anti-social behaviour incidents reported to the police by Police Force Area and no further lower level breakdown is currently available. There are plans to publish new Community Safety Partnership (CSP) breakdowns later this year. The latest available data covering year to March 2022 can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/policeforceareadatatables

Wagner Group

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to designate the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation.

Tom Tugendhat: Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.The Government remains concerned about Russia's use of private military companies such as the Wagner Group. We take the provision of mercenaries and other military support to parties in conflicts such as Libya, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere very seriously. We continue to work closely with our international partners to counter Russian malign activity and respond to actions that undermine the rules based international system.Our package of sanctions in support of Ukraine targets those aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This includes the Wagner Group and on 24 March 2022 the UK designated Wagner Group under our autonomous sanctions regime.

Animal Experiments: Animal Welfare

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report of the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research entitled The role of review and regulatory approvals processes for animal research in supporting implementation of the 3Rs published in 2023, what steps she plans to take to support animal welfare ethical review bodies to challenge the use of animals in research projects.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report of the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research entitled The role of review and regulatory approvals processes for animal research in supporting implementation of the 3Rs published in 2023, whether the Animals in Science Regulation Unit will begin auditing the effectiveness of the Named Information Officer role.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government is considering the independent report of February 2023, commissioned by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research. The Home Office publishes Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and on its audit process. The latter is available at: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits. The requirements of the Animal Welfare Ethical Review Body (AWERB) and the Named Information Officer (NIO) role are set out in the guidance, including how the AWERB and NIO role will be assessed under the audit framework. The independent Animals in Science Committee has produced a report to support the operation of AWERBs, available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/awerb-hub-support-note.

Homicide

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many domestic homicides there were in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield, (c) London and (d) England in each year since 2010.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Home Office collects data on domestic homicides recorded by the police in England and Wales at the Police Force Area level.Data for London and England are given in the table.Table (xlsx, 10.3KB)

Asylum: RAF Scampton

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation her Department conducted with (a) West Lindsey District Council, (b) Lincolnshire County Council, (c) local NHS, police and fire services and (d) other statutory local agencies before deciding to host asylum seekers at the former RAF Scampton.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office have engaged with a number of key stakeholders, including local authorities, on sourcing appropriate accommodation for asylum seekers. We are committed to engaging with key stakeholders and local partners to ensure this site is delivered successfully.For all sites, we are considering the impact on local services including the NHS, police and fire services and working with local partners to develop bespoke plans that take account of local environmental issues, heritage and any risks associated with each site. This includes extensive security and basic on-site healthcare provision to limit pressures on local NHS services.

Migrants: Protection

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to provide safeguarding processes for (a) victims of modern slavery and (b) other vulnerable adults arriving in the UK.

Miss Sarah Dines: Protecting the vulnerable and tackling MSHT is a top priority for Border Force. As First Responders, frontline Border Force Officers play a key role in identifying both victims and perpetrators of human trafficking as they seek to cross the UK border. Border Force work to prevent exploitation from happening, to safeguard and protect vulnerable persons and in collaboration with other law enforcement colleagues seek to bring to justice those who commit MSHT crime. All frontline Border Force officers are trained to spot the signs of MSHT and make necessary safeguarding referrals. Border Force also has a cadre of over 500 specialist Safeguarding & Modern Slavery (SAMS) officers.All Border Force safeguarding and Modern Slavery training is reviewed and updated to ensure it continues to fulfil those ICIBI (Independent Chief Inspector for Borders & Immigration) and IASC (Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner) expectations which the Home Office has accepted.

Sudan: Travel Requirements

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2023 to Question 183490 on Sudan: Travel Requirements, how many Sudanese people have (a) travel documents held by the UK Visa Centre in Sudan and (b) been contacted to provide practical solutions to ensure this does not impede their planned travel.

Robert Jenrick: Where our records confirm that a customer’s passport is being held in the Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Khartoum, UK Visas and Immigration have contacted all those customers that have been issued or refused visa applications in our VAC in Khartoum and offered them a letter confirming that their passport is securely stored and attaching a digital copy of their passport, that may help support their travel out of Sudan and into a third country.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government response entitled, UK regulator confirms that people should continue to receive the COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca, published on 18 March 2021, if he will publish the evidence on which the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency based this advice.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Influenza: Vaccination

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Advice on influenza vaccinations for 2023-24 issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in November 2022 on funding influenza vaccinations for people aged between 50 and 64 years.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Influenza: Vaccination

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has modelled the potential impact of providing free vaccinations to people aged 50-64 on NHS resource utilisation in the 2023-24 winter period.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Influenza: Vaccination

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason his Department has chosen not to include all 50-64 year-olds in the eligible cohort for the 2023 to 2024 flu vaccination programme.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Influenza: Vaccination

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will reconsider its decision to change flu vaccine eligibility for people aged 50 to 64.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Drugs

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of trends in the level of homecare medicines services on patient safety.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Automated External Defibrillators Fund

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 May 2023 to Question 185714 on Defibrillators: Information, what the criteria are for determining a selected partner for the Automated External Defibrillator Fund.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services and Social Services: Staff

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to para 122 of the report entitled Expert Panel: evaluation of Government’s commitments in the area of the health and social care workforce: Government Response, published 21 April 2023, if he will publish the methodology and analysis used for regression modelling.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospital Beds: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of critical care bed capacity in Northern Ireland.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made of the critical care bed capacity in Northern Ireland as health is a devolved matter.

Clinical Trials

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of (a) the reasons for trends in the level of patients participating in clinical trials in England since 2018 and (b) the impact of financial incentives to GPs to enrol patients in clinical trials on levels of participation; whether he has had discussions with the (i) British Medical Association and (ii) Royal College of General Practitioners on this matter; how the amount paid per patient enrolled onto a clinical trial will be calculated; and whether measures will be put in place to ensure (A) patients (1) are able to give and (2) have given fully informed consent and (B) vulnerable patients are protected.

Will Quince: Overall, there has been an increase in the number of participants recruited to clinical studies in England since 2018. During the COVID-19 pandemic, recruitment to studies on the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Portfolio increased by 90% to an average of over 115,000 participants recruited per month in 2020/21. During the pandemic, many non-COVID studies were paused to focus on nationally prioritised COVID-19 studies. The Department, working in partnership with NHS England, has taken action to recover the UK’s capacity to deliver research through the Research Reset programme. By May 2023, a rolling average of over 77,000 people were recruited to studies on the NIHR CRN portfolio, 10,000 more than the monthly average prior to the pandemic in 2019/20.In February 2023, the Government commissioned an independent review to offer recommendations on how to resolve key challenges in conducting commercial clinical trials in the UK and transform the UK commercial clinical trial environment. The Lord O’Shaughnessy Review, published in May 2023, highlights the opportunities for primary care to deliver population-scale trials. A comprehensive response will be published in the autumn covering decisions on the recommendations not covered in our first step, including financial incentives for general practitioners (GPs) to take part in commercial trials. We will seek input from stakeholders as we make our assessment.Payments to GPs for involvement in clinical research delivery are based on standardised costing methodologies supported by NHS England and NIHR CRN to provide transparency and reassurance that there are not undue incentives to GPs or other health professionals, or inappropriate personal financial gain.All clinical trials are reviewed by a Research Ethics Committee (REC) prior to the research starting. All RECs in the UK are recognised as meeting the standards set out in legislation. RECs consider the method of seeking consent and the information that is provided to potential participants, including those that may be vulnerable, to ensure that they are appropriately informed and able to make a choice about participation.

NHS: Drugs

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on how many occasions a Marketing Authorisation Holder of a pharmaceutical product has notified (a) the National Homecare Medicines Committee and (b) individual clinical referring centres of a decline in homecare medicines services to a level that could be considered a risk to patient safety in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: NHS England’s four national frameworks for Homecare Medicine Services do not have a direct contractual relationship with the Marketing Authorisation Holder; the relationship is directly with the homecare provider. Therefore, this information is not available, and is not held by the National Homecare Medicines Committee or NHS England.

Autism

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a review of (a) autism services and (b) their effectiveness.

Maria Caulfield: There are no current plans to make this specific assessment. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population and we expect ICBs to follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on autism.NHS England publish quarterly data on how many people are waiting for an autism assessment, and for how long, by local area. The data provides useful information to support local areas to identify local demand and adequacy of services.Workforce leads within NHS England are working to understand the gap in the specialist autism workforce. Additionally, NHS England’s recently published national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services will help the National Health Service and local authorities improve their autism assessment services and improve the experience for adults and children who are referred to an autism assessment service.

Autism

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to consult autistic people on (a) the support that they receive and (b) its effect on their lives.

Maria Caulfield: The Department is committed to ensuring autistic people are involved in the formation of policy and decision-making processes. To inform the development of the latest national autism strategy, published July 2021, we ran a national call for evidence where we engaged with autistic people and their families and sought their personal experiences and views. This year, we are updating the Statutory Guidance on Autism to support the National Health Service and local authorities to deliver improved outcomes for autistic people. There will be a public consultation on this guidance, which will include giving autistic people, their families, and carers the opportunity to give their views.

Disabled Facilities Grants: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has allocated to Solihull Council for Disabled Facilities Grants for financial years (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.

Maria Caulfield: In People at the Heart of Care, we announced that £573 million would be available for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) in each year from 2022/23 to 2024/25. For the financial year 2022/23 Solihull was allocated £2.5 million for the DFG. For the financial year 2023/2024 Solihull has been allocated a further £2.5 million.

Mental Illness: Unemployment

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to expand access to the Individual Placement Support scheme to people who not in work and experiencing mental ill-health.

Maria Caulfield: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leicester South on 24 March 2023 to Question 170611.

Autism

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the National Autistic Society about the support his Department provides for autistic people.

Maria Caulfield: The Department ensures that the voices of national charities, including the National Autistic Society (NAS), are included in the formation of policy and decision-making processes, including through representation in our governance and delivery arrangements.I met with autism charity representatives, including from the National Autistic Society, on 24 January 2023, to discuss the national autism strategy and plans for future implementation.

Mental Health Services: HIV Infection

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of mental health support for those newly diagnosed as HIV positive.

Maria Caulfield: No assessment has been made. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision of mental health services and whether they are adequate to meet the mental health needs of people newly diagnosed as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive in their local populations. We are committed to improving the quality of life for people living with HIV. As part of the Government’s HIV Action Plan, we have established a Workforce Task and Finish group which will explore innovative ways for the workforce to provide better support to people of all ages in care, including mental health support. The NHS England Roadmap identifies specialised HIV inpatient and outpatient services as key areas for greater leadership by NHS England and ICBs, which will allow local systems to simplify and strengthen HIV care pathways with other services, including psychosocial support and mental health services through effective local partnerships, for a more holistic approach to care. We are also expanding and transforming NHS mental health services in England, backed by additional funding of £2.3 billion a year by March 2024. This will allow an extra two million people, including people newly diagnosed as HIV positive, to get the mental health support that they need.

NHS: Pay

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason social enterprises are not funded funded for the 5 percent lump sum payment for staff.

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the ability of social enterprises with staff on agenda for change contracts to meet the 2022-23 NHS non-consolidated pay awards without receiving Government funding for that purpose.

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the NHS non-consolidated pay awards for 2022-23 on health and care services previously run by social enterprises.

Will Quince: The pay deal that was accepted by the NHS Staff Council on 2 May 2023 covered staff directly employed by National Health Service organisations. These organisations are set out in Annex 1 of the handbook on Agenda for Change terms.NHS social enterprises are independent providers and remain free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment. This includes the pay scales that they use and any non-consolidated pay awards they choose to make. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate, and how to recoup any additional costs they face.

Mental Health Services: Travellers

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of mental health support available for people from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community.

Maria Caulfield: We have not made such an assessment. Integrated care boards are responsible for the provision of mental health services and whether they are adequate to meet the mental health needs of people from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community in their local populations. We are also expanding and transforming National Health Service mental health services in England, backed by additional funding of £2.3 billion a year by March 2024. This will allow an extra two million people, including people from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community, to get the mental health support that they need. Through its mental health equalities strategy, NHS England is working closely with patients, carers, health system leaders and other key stakeholders to bridge the gaps for communities, such the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community, fairing worse than others in mental health services.

Mental Health Services: LGBT+ People

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of mental health support available for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Maria Caulfield: No assessment has been made. Integrated care boards are responsible for the provision of mental health services and whether they are adequate to meet the mental health needs of the LGBTQ+ individuals in their local populations.We are also expanding and transforming NHS mental health services in England, backed by additional funding of £2.3 billion a year by March 2024. This will allow an extra two million people, including LGBTQ+ individuals, to get the mental health support that they need. Through its mental health equalities strategy, NHS England is working closely with patients, carers, health system leaders and other key stakeholders to bridge the gaps for communities, such as the LGBTQ+ community, fairing worse than others in mental health services.

Haemochromatosis: Health Services

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people at risk of genetic haemochromatosis have access to appropriate (a) screening, (b) treatment and (c) support.

Helen Whately: Seventeen NHS Clinical Genomics Services (CGCs), commissioned by NHS England, deliver a comprehensive clinical genomic and counselling service that directs the diagnosis, risk assessment and lifelong clinical management of patients who have, or are at risk of having, a rare genetic or genomic condition. As part of the NHS CGS the patient and their family will access diagnosis and management, as well as receiving support so that they are able to understand their condition, its implications, and their options in relation to reproduction, screening, prevention and clinical management.Genomic testing for haemochromatosis is available through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service for patients in NHS CGCs England. Testing is available for all eligible patients across England and any healthcare professional who suspects their patient may have haemochromatosis can refer their patient for testing via their local NHS CGS.The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) last considered a screening programme for Hemochromatosis in March 2021 and screening was not recommended.The UK NSC regularly reviews recommendations on screening for different conditions in the light of new research evidence becoming available. The UK NSC plans to look at the evidence to screen for hereditary haemochromatosis again in 2024.

Community Care

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide support for people discharged from hospital to return to their homes.

Helen Whately: The Department’s Hospital Discharge and Community Support Guidance, recommends a discharge to assess, home first approach to hospital discharge. Multi-disciplinary hospital discharge teams and care transfer hubs should work together so that, other than in exceptional circumstances, no one should transfer permanently into a care home for the first time directly following an acute hospital admission.This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance

Rheumatology: Enfield North

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of rheumatology care in Enfield North constituency in the last (a) 12 and (d) 24 months.

Helen Whately: No specific assessment has been made. Both Enfield hospitals, The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and North Middlesex University Hospital provide specialist rheumatology services. National Health Service providers and commissioners work to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for rheumatology when commissioning or delivering care. Patients in Enfield with musculoskeletal problems can also access a first contact practitioner (FCP) without needing a referral from their general practitioner. FCPs work at various community locations around the borough. In September 2022, a new Community Diagnostic Centre also opened in Wood Green Shopping Centre, offering NHS scans and tests.

Radiology: Staff

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of trained interventional radiologists in the NHS.

Helen Whately: As of October 2022, there were 1,588 full-time equivalent doctors in training in the clinical radiology specialty in the National Health Service in England. This is an increase of 252, 18.9%, since 2019.The Government funded an additional 20 Specialty Training year six (ST6) places for interventional radiologists in 2021/22 and 2022/23. These increases in the overall radiology workforce will increase the number of radiologists who can train to deliver interventional radiology and expand national capacity for the paediatric interventional radiology workforce.To support the workforce as a whole, we have commissioned NHS England to develop a Long Term Workforce Plan, which will include independently verified forecasts for the number of healthcare professionals required in future years. The Plan is for the whole of the NHS workforce, it will not provide detailed workforce assessments for individual services.

Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how funding his Department allocated to Solihull Council as part of the Infection Control Fund.

Helen Whately: The Infection Control Funds were introduced in May 2020 to support adult social care providers to reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmissions in and between care homes. The following table shows the amounts of funding made available to Solihull Council across all of our Infection Control Funds, which ran until March 2022.Fund nameFund time spanAllocation for Solihull CouncilInfection Control FundMay 2020 to September 2020£2,562,829.00Infection Control Fund 2October 2020 to March 2021£2,371,242.00Rapid Testing FundDecember 2020 to March 2021£682,145.00Infection Control and Testing FundApril 2021 to June 2021£1,482,653.00Infection Control and Testing Fund 2July 2021 to September 2021£1,089,017.00Infection Control and Testing Fund 3October 2021 to March 2022£1,696,831.00Omicron Support FundJanuary 2022£217,589.00Total-£10,102,306.00 This series of five Infection Control Funds and the Omicron Support Fund meant the adult social care sector had continuous access to over £2.3 billion of specific funding to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Neurology: Health Services

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to support people with (a) Huntington's Disease and (b) other complex neurological conditions.

Helen Whately: Specialised elements of neurological care are provided through the 25 specialised neurological treatment centres across England. NHS England’s neuroscience transformation programme (NSTP) is developing several optimal pathways for neurology services, which includes Huntington's disease. The NSTP is also developing a new definition for ‘specialised’ neurology. The NSTP will provide integrated care systems with the tools, information and resources they will need to drive the transformation in their neurology services.In addition, the neuropsychiatry service specification is in development, which will outline the multi-disciplinary approach to caring for patients with complex neurological conditions.

Social Services: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has made available to Solihull Council through the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund in each year since 2021.

Helen Whately: Solihull received £589,303 in round one and £1,087,945 in round two from the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund for adult social care.Full details of grant allocations can be found at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-recruitment-and-retention-fund-for-adult-social-carehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-recruitment-and-retention-fund-for-adult-social-care-round-2

Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinical networks (a) are effective and (b) encourage full participation by those invited to join those forums.

Helen Whately: Clinical networks can provide an important source of improvement and learning for clinicians and healthcare providers. NHS England regions work closely with clinical networks to support them to maximise their impact on patient outcomes including through the meaningful participation of invited members.

Haemochromatosis: Diagnosis

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that families with a confirmed diagnosis of genetic haemochromatosis can receive cascade screening of close relatives at risk of that condition.

Helen Whately: Genomic testing for haemochromatosis is available through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) for patients in England. Testing is available for all eligible patients across the whole of England and any healthcare professional who suspects their patient may have haemochromatosis can refer their patient for testing via their local NHS Clinical Genomic Service (NHS CGS). Testing for the common C282Y variant for hereditary haemochromatosis is covered under clinical indication R95 of the National Genomic Test Directory and clinical indication R96 if common variants have been excluded.

Better Care Fund: Enfield

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department (a) allocated and (b) allocated to Enfield Council as part of the Better Care Fund.

Helen Whately: The Better Care Fund (BCF) combines a number of grants and contributions. Overall, we have committed to at least £16.8 billion to the BCF for 2023 to 2025, with areas free to contribute further voluntary contributions as in previous years. This includes an extra £1.6 billion to support safe and timely discharge from hospital to home or an appropriate community setting.For 2023/24, Enfield Council has been allocated £43.4 million as part of the BCF. This includes the minimum National Health Service contribution (£26.3 million), the improved Better Care Fund grant (£11.7 million), Disabled Facilities Grant (£3.7 million) and the Adult Social Care Discharge Fund (£1.6 million).

Asthma: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for people with severe asthma to access biological treatment in the latest period for which data is available.

Helen Whately: A national review carried out by NHS England Accelerated Access Collaborative and Asthma & Lung UK in March 2022 found that patients were waiting a median of 5.9 weeks to start a biologic, after this treatment was approved by the specialist multi-disciplinary team.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Admissions

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people discharged from hospital into the community returned to Accident and Emergency within (a) 24 hours, (b) 48 hours and (c) 72 hours in each of the last twelve months.

Helen Whately: The information requested is not held centrally.

Pharmacy: Liverpool

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure there is an adequate supply of medication to pharmacies in Liverpool.

Will Quince: The Department regularly holds discussions with stakeholders to ensure continuity of supply of medicines to the National Health Service. We have well-established processes to manage and mitigate medicine supply issues, working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England, Devolved Governments and others operating in the supply chain, to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when they do arise.

NHS: Pay

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will provide funding for the total cost of the 2022 non-consolidated pay award for (a) not-for-profit, (b) social enterprise and (c) other organisations delivering (i) community healthcare and (ii) other NHS-funded services.

Will Quince: Independent providers, including not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment. This includes the pay scales that they use and any non-consolidated pay awards they choose to make. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate, and how to recoup any additional costs they face if they choose to utilise the terms and conditions of NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract.

Ambulance Services: Motor Vehicles

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of imported foreign ambulances in use by the NHS in England.

Will Quince: No such estimate has been made by the Department. The procurement of ambulances is an operational matter for the National Health Service. Each new ambulance is required to meet strict technical specifications to ensure consistency in quality and safety across the fleet.

Doctors and Nurses: Migrant Workers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of F1 and F2 (a) nurses and (b) doctors were born overseas.

Will Quince: NHS England publishes quarterly data on the nationality of staff employed in the National Health Service in England by staff group. Nationality is self-reported and may not always represent the country birth. The latest data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics/december-2022

Accident and Emergency Departments: Hospital Beds

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Delivery plan for the recovery of urgent and emergency care services, how many additional staffed hospital beds have been opened since January 2023.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of same day emergency care services available in each hospital with a major emergency department.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital beds have been purchased with the £1 billion funding allocated by his Department to increase the hospital bed base.

Will Quince: Good progress is being made in the delivery of 5,000 additional beds as part of the permanent bed base for next winter, as committed to in the Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) recovery plan. NHS England has worked with integrated care boards to review local demand and capacity plans for 2023/24 and ensure local plans are in place to deliver this commitment. This is being supported by the £1 billion of funding for National Health Service capacity announced in the recovery plan.No specific estimate has been made. As part of the implementation of the UEC recovery plan, NHS England is working with all systems so that all hospitals with type one emergency departments provide appropriate Same Day Emergency Care seven days a week with minimum opening hours of 12 hours per day.

Hospitals: Buildings

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has allocated to NHS hospital trusts to fix buildings adversely impacted by reinforced autoclaved aerated concretein the last 12 months.

Will Quince: We have publicly committed to eradicating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from the National Health Service estate by 2035, protecting patient and staff safety in the interim period, with NHS approaching this on a ‘risk basis’ and prioritising NHS trusts of concern.We have allocated a total of £685 million for mitigation works in all the affected trusts up to 2024/25. We are allocating funding annually, based on NHS trust plans and delivery progress. In the last financial year £210 million was allocated to NHS hospital trusts to manage RAAC issues on their estates.The Government has on 25 May confirmed that five schemes that submitted an Expression of Interest for the next eight hospitals will join the New Hospital Programme (NHP). These hospitals all have significant amounts of RAAC and have been independently assessed as unsafe to operate beyond 2030. The Government is therefore prioritising these major rebuilds through the NHP, to address and neutralise the most pressing safety risks posed to staff and patients.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to develop an alcohol dependency (a) prevention and (b) recovery strategy.

Neil O'Brien: There are no current plans to develop a standalone alcohol dependency prevention and recovery strategy. The Government has already set out measures to reduce and prevent alcohol harm through the green paper ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ and the NHS Long Term Plan.The Government published its 10-year Drug Strategy in December 2021. While the focus of the strategy is drugs, commissioning and delivery of drug and alcohol treatment services are integrated in England. This means that implementation of the strategy will also benefit people seeking alcohol treatment through mechanisms such as new commissioning standards, and new investment to rebuild local authority commissioned substance misuse treatment services in England.

UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the (a) co-chairs and (b) other members of the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership were paid for this work by his Department.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report of the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership, published on 6 February 2023; what recent progress he has made on appointing a Chair of that Commission; what recent estimate he has made of the funding required for the appointment of the Chair; what funding that has been budgeted for this role; and if he will make a statement.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department provided funding for (a) staff resources and (b) other costs to the (i) Royal Pharmaceutical Society, (ii) Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and (iii) Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK in the last 12 months.

Neil O'Brien: The Department provided no payments to the co-chairs or other members of the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership. As set out in the report of the Commission, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer of the four nations will appoint the Chair and the appointment process is in train. The Department has not made a specific assessment of, nor provision for, a budget for this role.The Department has provided no funding to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland or Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK for staff resources in the last 12 months. One payment was made to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for an annual subscription to access the Pharmaceutical Journal. No funding was provided for other costs to the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland or the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK.

Healthy Start Scheme: Finance

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department plans to allocate to the Healthy Start scheme in each of the next three financial years.

Neil O'Brien: Healthy Start is a demand-led scheme and spending on the scheme varies each year. The amount of funds provided to the Department for Healthy Start each year is based on forecasts of the number of families on the scheme, with the Department managing actual spend within its overall budget.

Mortality Rates

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of recent data published by the Office of National Statistics on excess deaths.

Neil O'Brien: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities works alongside the Office for National Statistics to understand excess deaths. A combination of factors has contributed to these excess deaths, including high flu prevalence, the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.On 24 January 2023, the Government announced that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy and an interim report will be published in the summer. The strategy will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that sets out a shift to integrated, whole-person care. The strategy will tackle conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England including, cancers, cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, dementia, mental ill health and musculoskeletal conditions.

Obesity: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has allocated to Solihull Council for the Adult Weight Management Services Grant for financial years (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.

Neil O'Brien: In 2021/22 Solihull Council was allocated £61,698 for the Adult Weight Management Services Grant. The grant was not available to local authorities for the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Electronic Cigarettes: Public Transport

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of vaping on public transport on public health; and if he will take steps to further investigate this matter.

Neil O'Brien: We have not made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of vaping on public transport and public health. To date, there is no evidence of health risks of passive vaping by bystanders and therefore we do not intend to investigate this matter further.

Healthy Start Scheme

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has a target for the proportion of eligible people that should receive Healthy Start payments.

Neil O'Brien: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. The NHSBSA is committed to increasing uptake of the scheme to ensure as many children as possible have a healthy start in life.

Healthy Start Scheme

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of not increasing the value of Healthy Start payments since 2021.

Neil O'Brien: The Department has made no assessment on the implications for the Department's policies of not increasing the value of Healthy Start payments since 2021.

GP Surgeries: Rents

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has received representations from (a) Integrated Care Systems and (b) other health services on the adequacy of guidance used by the District Valuer Services on assessing a reasonable market rental value for GP premises.

Neil O'Brien: We are not aware of any representations from integrated care systems or other health services on the adequacy of guidance for District Valuer Services on assessing market rental value for GP premises.

Food: Advertising

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to implement fully the restrictions on advertising of unhealthy food and drink in the Health and Care Act 2022.

Neil O'Brien: We will be implementing restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9pm on television and paid-for advertising of less healthy products online from 1 October 2025.

Food: Salt

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Public Health England's Salt reduction targets for 2024, published in September 2020, when he expects a report on the food industry’s progress towards meeting those targets to be published.

Neil O'Brien: The salt reduction strand of the Government’s voluntary reformulation programme continues, with monitoring data being collected and industry encouraged to continue to work towards meeting the 2024 targets. There is currently no confirmed publication date for the report on the food industry’s progress but it is not expected until next year. An update will be provided in due course.

Healthy Start Scheme

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an estimate of the uptake of the Healthy Start Scheme on a (a) monthly and (b) yearly basis; and what recent estimate his Department has made of the uptake of the Healthy Start Scheme.

Neil O'Brien: Monthly uptake figures for the Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website. In May 2023, uptake for the Healthy Start scheme was 64.9%.

General Practitioners: Workplace Pensions

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with Primary Care Support England on the funding provided to general practices to cover GP pension contributions.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of Primary Care Support England's funding of pension contributions of general practice GPs.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with Primary Care Support England on the funding provided to general practices to support employer pension contributions.

Neil O'Brien: As independent contractors, general practices are responsible for employer pension contributions for their staff. NHS Pension Scheme employer contributions are factored into funding provided to practices to deliver services in the National Health Service.The multi-year general practitioner contract framework provided funding clarity and certainty to practices until 2023/24. The current framework ends in April 2024. Future funding arrangements for general practice will be considered in due course.

Healthy Start Scheme

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of recipients of Healthy Start paper vouchers who have not re-enrolled via the online registration system as of 1 June 2023.

Neil O'Brien: The NHS Business Services Authority estimates that as of 1 June 2023 there were 34,020 households which previously were in receipt of paper vouchers which have not successfully applied to the NHS Healthy Start prepaid card scheme.

Electronic Cigarettes

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the harmfulness of (a) cinnamaldehyde and (b) other chemicals found in vaping products.

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an estimate of the levels of (a) nickel, 9B0 chromium and (c) lead in vaping products.

Neil O'Brien: No assessment has been made of the estimated levels of nickel, 9B0 chromium or lead in vaping products. However, the Government recently announced £3 million of funding for a new national illicit vaping enforcement unit to tackle illicit and underage vape sales across the country. This includes the testing of products thought to be non-compliant.The Office of Health Improvements and Disparities has published detailed evidence updates on vapes (e-cigarettes) since 2014. These reports include systematic reviews of the respiratory, cardiovascular and cancer risks as well as reports on the risks from fires, explosions and poisonings, including relating to the harmfulness of cinnamaldehyde and other chemicals. The full report is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1107701/Nicotine-vaping-in-England-2022-report.pdfBusinesses supplying vapes and e-liquids to the United Kingdom market must ensure their products comply with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, including relating to the safety of their products. Local trading standards have enforcement powers to remove non-compliant products.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has produced guidance on ingredients and emission testing that companies making or importing e-cigarettes and e-liquids are required to follow, Chapter 3 - Emissions Guidance and Chapter 6 - Ingredient Guidance. This states that companies wishing to place their products on the UK market must submit information on key emissions and ingredients to the MHRA.

Electronic Cigarettes: Prescriptions

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department Has made an assessment of the potential impact on demand for vaping products of making such products available by prescription only.

Neil O'Brien: No assessment has been made. There are no medicinally licensed vaping product approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. As such, the Government is not currently considering making vaping products prescription only.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing a strategy on reproductive health.

Neil O'Brien: We recognise that there is more to do to improve women’s reproductive health and have published a new Women’s Health Strategy for England. As part of the strategy, we are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs, so that women can get better access to care for essential services including contraception, menstruation and menopause. We will consider the need for further action as we take forward work to improve sexual and reproductive health services in England.

Protective Clothing: China

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost of storing personal protective equipment in China was per (a) day and (b) week in (i) February and (ii) March 2023.

Will Quince: Storage costs data for personal protective equipment are compiled on a monthly basis and the latest collated figures relate to March 2023. The following table shows the cost of storing items in warehouses in China during February and March 2023. February 2023 (£)March 2023 (£)Daily31,34330,827Weekly219,400215,786

NHS: Agency Workers

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of awarding a non-consolidated payment to NHS Bank Staff who assisted in the vaccination efforts.

Will Quince: Many National Health Service bank staff who are directly employed on the Agenda for Change contract, for example, permanent or fixed term contracts, and who undertake additional shifts through an NHS bank, will already be eligible for the non-consolidated payments agreed with the NHS Staff Council. Some will be employed exclusively on locally managed contracts, for example Bank contracts, and thus it will be for individual employers to determine the pay and conditions for those members of staff.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to the letters of 23 March and 24 April 2023 about prevention of covid-19 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of his constituent Dr Richard Lawson.

Will Quince: We replied to the hon. Member on 7 June 2023.

Long Covid: Research

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to support further research into the treatment of long covid.

Will Quince: Over £50 million has already been invested in long COVID-19 research projects to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate clinical care. The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including long COVID-19. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

Ambulance Services: Motor Vehicles

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services, published on 30 January 2023, what recent progress his Department has made on introducing 800 new ambulances.

Will Quince: All ambulance trusts have now placed their ambulance orders for delivery in the current year under existing contracts, and tenders have been received for the mental health ambulances which are being evaluated by NHS England.In total, NHS England expect delivery in 2023/24 of:- 628 dual crew ambulances;- 154 lightweight ambulances;- 40 mental health ambulances; and- 11 electric ambulances.

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the commitment in NHS England’s Long-Term Plan to introduce (a) new cell and gene therapies and (b) other new treatment possibilities.

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential quality of life benefits of potentially one-time treatments for patients with life-long and chronic diseases.

Will Quince: The Government would like all National Health Service patients in England to benefit from innovative and effective new treatments in a way that represents value to taxpayers. All new medicines, including cell and gene therapies, are appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) which makes recommendations for the NHS on whether they should be funded by the NHS, considering clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims to publish guidance on new medicines around the time of licensing wherever possible and the NHS is legally required to make funding available for NICE recommended treatments.The NHS has struck commercial deals with the manufacturers of several cell and gene therapies enabling NICE to recommend them for NHS patients, including through the Government’s £340 million Cancer Drugs Fund. NHS patients in England were among the first in the world to benefit from access to CAR-T cancer therapy and, NHS England has also negotiated deals to secure lifesaving gene therapies Zolgensma® and Libmeldy® for patients with spinal muscular atrophy and metachromatic leukodystophy, respectively.

Patients: Complaints

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has taken recent steps to (a) review the level of satisfaction and (b) seek views on how better to resolve the disputes of patients using the complaints systems in the NHS.

Maria Caulfield: National Health Service complaints are initially handled at a local level, so learning lessons from complaints, including the levels of satisfaction or how to improve complaints resolution, is led by the relevant local NHS organisation. At a national level, the Government is working with stakeholders to improve the way the NHS listens to and responds to complaints, including through the NHS Complaint Standards. The NHS Complaint Standards were developed by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman by drawing on their experience of patient complaints and in collaboration with stakeholders, and they provide guidance to the NHS on a model complaint handling service, which includes a particularly focus on early resolution and on learning from complaints.

Infectious Diseases: Disease Control

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's oversight of health policy of negotiations on an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response..

Maria Caulfield: We have been clear that the United Kingdom will not sign up to a pandemic instrument or any instrument that would compromise the UK’s ability to make domestic decisions on national measures concerning public health policy. Protecting states’ sovereign rights to determine and manage their approaches to public health is a guiding principle for negotiators of the pandemic instrument. Other Member States have also identified this as a priority.The UK has been and will continue to play an active role in shaping this instrument to deliver on the UK’s global health priorities and protect the health of people in the UK and around the world. No content of the instrument has yet been agreed and Member States are still in the early stages of the negotiation process.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Maria Caulfield: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for York Central on 21 April 2023 to Question 180922.

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings (a) he and (b) other Ministers from his Department have held with Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust since January 2023.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers from his Department have held with members of senior and executive leadership at Wotton Lawn Hospital since January 2023.

Maria Caulfield: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and other Departmental Ministers regularly engage with external organisations, including National Health Service mental health trusts, on a range of issues relating to health and social care. These are routinely published on GOV.UK.

Hospital Beds

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce hospital occupancy rates in England.

Will Quince: As set out in the delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services, there will be 5,000 more beds this year, alongside expanded use of virtual wards with an extra 3,000 virtual ward beds to provide over 10,000 in total by autumn. This is backed by £1 billion of dedicated funding.We are also investing £1.6 billion over the next two years to reduce the numbers of beds occupied by patients ready to be discharged. This includes establishing ‘transfer of care hubs’ in every hospital ahead of next winter, alongside new approaches to step-down care.Same Day Emergency Care services will also be in place across every hospital with a major emergency department, helping avoid unnecessary overnight stays in hospital.

Patients: Information

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what requirements there are for NHS Trusts to provide (a) medication instructions and (b) patient information booklets in multiple languages.

Will Quince: NHS trusts are expected to adhere to statutory requirements under the Equality Act 2010, and to their responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty. In 2018 NHS England published ‘Guidance for Commissioners: interpreting and translation services in primary care’, which outlines commissioners’ responsibilities for supporting primary care services to support patients who may need translation and interpretation support. This includes the requirement that health-related written documents in English (for example health information leaflets), which are usually made freely available to patients, should be translated where needed into other languages at no cost to the patient.

Rheumatology: Staff

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to increase the number of NHS staff providing rheumatology care in (a) Merseyside and Cheshire Integrated Care System area and (b) England.

Will Quince: Cheshire and Merseyside’s elective recovery programme is reviewing workforce gaps, priorities and the actions required to ensure safe and appropriately skilled workforce across several pathways, including rheumatology.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make statement on the status of NICE Quality Standard, QS10, update for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the NICE Quality Standard, QS10, update for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults has been suspended.

Will Quince: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for keeping its quality standards up to date to ensure that they reflect changes in the evidence base. NICE’s quality standard on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults [QS10] was scheduled for update in 2023/24. After consulting with external topic experts, it became apparent that a full standard update was not required. NICE is currently finalising minor changes to the quality standard and has liaised with the National Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Audit Programme to align measurement approaches where possible.This approach will allow a quicker and more efficient update schedule, and final publication is provisionally expected in autumn 2023. NICE’s website will be updated when the timeline is confirmed.

Nurses: Degrees

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release by NHS Health Education England entitled New blended learning nursing degree to focus on community, primary and social care skills, published on 17 May 2023, how the academic curriculum will be chosen for that degree; and whether nurses working in (a) community, (b) primary and (c) social care settings will be consulted in the development of the curriculum.

Will Quince: The standards for education and training of registered professionals such as nurses are the statutory responsibility of healthcare regulators.The curriculum for the proposed blended learning degree will be in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Future Nurse: Standards of proficiency for nurses, available at the following link:https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards-of-proficiency/nurses/future-nurse-proficiencies.pdf.The programme for the blended learning degree was shaped with input from experts and practitioners in community, primary and social care sectors, as well as the Nursing Midwifery Council, National Health Service employers, an expert by experience and a nursing student, through an advisory group that still meets to provide ongoing support to the universities in developing and delivering their curricula.NHS England also sought evidence and assurance that the successful universities will have local partnerships with community, primary and social care staff to shape and deliver their curricula.

Rheumatology: Health Professions

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to increase the number of (a) rheumatology consultants and (b) rheumatology clinical nurse specialists in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to increase the number of paediatric rheumatology (a) consultants and (b) clinical nurse specialists in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

Will Quince: As of January 2023, there were 694 full-time equivalent consultants working in the rheumatology specialism in National Health Service trusts and commissioning bodies in England. This is an increase of 19 since last year. We do not hold data for paediatric rheumatology and clinical nurse specialists.To support the workforce as a whole we have commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term plan for the next 15 years. This plan will help ensure that we have the right numbers of staff, with the right skills, to transform and deliver high quality services fit for the future.

NHS: Pay

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether staff working for social enterprises in the health sector will be included in Agenda for Change.

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the 2022-23 non-consolidated NHS pay awards will apply to staff on agenda for change contracts who are employed by social enterprises.

Will Quince: As National Health Service social enterprises are independent providers, they remain free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions for employment that best help them attract and keep the staff they need. This includes the pay scales that they use.Staff employed at NHS social enterprises who utilise the Agenda for Change terms and conditions may be entitled to the non-consolidated pay award that staff working for eligible NHS organisations will receive, and organisations should consider their contractual obligations.

NHS: Pay

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Minister in his Department has responsibility for the Agenda for Change lump sum payment uplift to providers.

Will Quince: My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has overall responsibility for all departmental business, including the implementation of National Health Service pay awards.

Infant Foods: Procurement

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase the amount of baby formula procured by (a) the NHS and (b) other public services from UK-based businesses.

Will Quince: There are no specific plans to increase the amount of baby milk procured by the National Health Service and other public services from businesses based in the United Kingdom. All procurement opportunities are advertised and open to UK businesses.All procurement within the NHS and other public services are conducted within the rules of the Government’s Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which stipulates that all suppliers are treated fairly and equally in the procurement process. The NHS and other public services account for a relatively small proportion of the supply of infant formula within the UK, with most of the supply through retail outlets.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy Bills Rebate

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will make an estimate of the number and proportion of Energy Bills Support Scheme vouchers that were delivered late due to Royal Mail delays in the 2022-23 financial year.

Amanda Solloway: The Department does not hold the data that would allow us to make an estimate.Expectations set for suppliers factored in small delays in postage and suppliers and voucher providers had contingencies in place during postal strikes.Vouchers that are expired due to loss, damage or not having been received can be reissued by suppliers and will have an expiry date of 30 June 2023.

Energy: Finance

Saqib Bhatti: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much from the public purse the Government has invested in the UK energy industry since 2010; and if he will make a comparative assessment of that level of funding against spending in (a) the US and (b) other international counterparts over the same time period.

Graham Stuart: The UK has seen nearly £200 billion of public and private investment into low carbon energy sectors between 2010 and 2022. This is 50% higher than the US as a share of GDP. A comparison with other G7 countries is set out in Figure 2 of Powering Up Britain: The Net Zero Growth Plan. A split between public and private sources of investment is not available from the data.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Saqib Bhatti: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate he has made of the potential economic value of carbon capture, utilisation and storage.

Graham Stuart: The carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) sector could support up to 50,000 jobs in the UK in 2030, and there could be a potential £4-5bn in Gross Value Added from UK CCUS exports by 2050. The UK has 78 gigatonnes of theoretical potential storage capacity, with potential value being generated by storing other countries' CO2. An Emissions Trading Scheme price of £60/tonne, utilising the full potential storage capacity, could result in avoided emissions of around £5trillion. The size of the opportunity will depend on factors such as costs of capturing, transporting and storing CO2, the prevailing carbon price and volume of CO2 being stored.

Energy Supply: Radio Frequencies

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the letter from the National Infrastructure Commission and Climate Change Committee to the Deputy Prime Minister entitled Improving infrastructure resilience and adapting to the change in climate, dated 26 April 2023, whether his Department is taking steps to improve critical infrastructure preparedness by supporting radio spectrum access for the energy system.

Graham Stuart: The Department initiated a technical project that will calculate the financial costs of a range of radio communication options to support the use cases that will emerge alongside the transition to Net Zero. This study will inform, and be informed by, Ofcom’s review of the future communication needs of the utilities (electricity, gas, and water) that is due for publication in Q1 2023-2024.

Energy Supply: Radio Frequencies

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on taking steps to provide radio spectrum access for the energy networks industry to implement smart grid technologies.

Graham Stuart: The Department initiated a technical project that will calculate the financial costs of a range of radio communication options to support the further development of a smart grid. This study will inform, and be informed by, Ofcom’s review of the future communication needs of the utilities (electricity, gas, and water) that is due for publication in Q1 2023-2024. The Department will draw on the recommendations of that report and, if a spectrum solution is recommended, work with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to assist industry partners in securing the relevant spectrum allocation.

Heat Pumps: Housing

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made (a) an assessment of the effectiveness of heat pumps in older homes and (b) the potential cost to rural home owners of upgrading their home insulation to increase the heat pumps effectiveness.

Graham Stuart: Government analysis suggests around 90% of fossil fuel heated homes, including 70% of fossil fuel heated homes built before 1919, are suitable for low temperature heat pumps, based on evidence of their energy efficiency and electrical connections. A higher proportion of properties are likely to become suitable following energy efficiency upgrades or by using a high temperature heat pump. The Government has published an online tool setting out the potential costs to households seeking to upgrade their energy efficiency. The Government recognises that not all properties will be suitable for a heat pump and there will be a role for alternative low carbon technologies where heat pumps cannot be used.

Energy Bills Rebate

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, what guidance his Department has issued on whether intermediaries should pass through support to end users if the final bills covering the eligible period (a) do and (b) do not exceed the initial estimated cost paid upfront.

Amanda Solloway: Any eligible intermediary that was provided support from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme should have passed this on in a just and reasonable way, to end users. Guidance for intermediaries was published on GOV.UK which sets out how intermediaries should calculate the pass-through requirement.[1] Intermediaries must pass on the discount irrespective of how the end user pays for their energy use. They can adjust the amount they pass on based on their charges to end users and must demonstrate to end users that this amount is just and reasonable. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pass-through-requirements-for-energy-price-support-provided-to-intermediaries

Energy Bills Rebate

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, whether his Department has specified a deadline by which all end users who are eligible should receive any benefit.

Amanda Solloway: Any intermediary in England, Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland that will be or has been provided support from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) must ensure they are passing this support on, in a just and reasonable way, to end users. The pass-through benefit must be passed on as soon as reasonably practicable.EBRS support ended on 31 March, if the scheme benefit were not yet passed on to end users, the expectation is that the support will still be passed on in accordance with the pass-through requirements. If end users do not believe this obligation has been met, they are advised to contact their intermediary to resolve this in the first instance. If there is still disagreement the end user may pursue recovery of benefits as a civil debt through civil proceedings.

Energy Bills Rebate: Contracts

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, if his Department will issue guidance on pass-through requirements for residents on non-domestic energy contracts who do not live in a development with a heat network.

Amanda Solloway: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) ended on 31 March and has provided £7 billion of support. The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) continues to support all eligible intermediaries until March 2024. We are keen to ensure that all end users, receive the benefits of EBRS or EBDS where they are entitled to it. Guidance on the pass-through requirement across the energy affordability schemes has been published on GOV.UK.[1] This includes guidance for intermediaries, who are in receipt of the EBRS or EBDS, on how they should pass support on to residential customers on non-domestic energy contracts.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pass-through-requirements-for-energy-price-support-provided-to-intermediaries

Fracking: Licensing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will include biodiversity offsetting requirements to any fracking licenses it grants.

Graham Stuart: In line with 2019 Conservative Manifesto commitments, the Government has adopted a presumption against issuing any further hydraulic fracturing consents. This position, an effective moratorium, will be maintained until compelling new evidence is provided addressing concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity. The Government does not consider it necessary to apply offsetting requirements to activities subject to an ongoing moratorium.

Energy: Prices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent meetings with SCOPE on their social tariff on energy campaign.

Amanda Solloway: I attended the meeting of the Disability Charities Consortium on 24 May, where the CEO of SCOPE was in attendance.

Energy: Prices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has taken recent steps to help support disabled people with high energy costs.

Amanda Solloway: The Government has extensive additional support in place for those on certain disability benefits, including: the Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, the Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payments, the Constant Attendance Allowance and the War Pension Mobility Supplement. In addition, every household will have benefitted from the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme which together have covered around half of a typical household energy bill this winter, and by the end of June will have saved a typical household around £1,500. As we explore possible approaches to consumer protection from April 2024, we are working with disability organisations, considering the costs for disabled people and assessing need for specific support for disabled people using medical equipment in the home.

Energy: Prices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a (a) social tariff and (b) discounted energy scheme for disabled people.

Amanda Solloway: The Government is continually reviewing the financial support it provides for the differing energy needs within its communities and prioritising support for the most vulnerable.As the Government explores possible approaches to consumer protection from April 2024, it is working with disability organisations, considering the costs for disabled people, and assessing the need for specific support for disabled people using medical equipment in the home. Officials are discussing developing policy with charities, industry, and other consumer groups with a view to targeting support for the most vulnerable and alleviating fuel poverty.

Nuclear Fusion: Research

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much from the public purse has been spent on nuclear fusion research since 2010.

Andrew Bowie: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and its predecessor departments funded approximately £800m in nuclear fusion research through the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority between 2009/10 and 2021/22. Final spend figures for 2022/23 will be published through audited accounts in due course. This excludes UK funding towards nuclear fusion research through Euratom R&T, the EU fusion programme, which was funded through the UK’s total contribution to the EU.

Energy: Costs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is taking steps it help ensure that costs charged by energy companies to customers reflect changes in the level of the energy market.

Amanda Solloway: Domestic consumers can choose a Fixed tariff, based on the best prices available at the time, or they will move onto a Default tariff. Where they are on Default tariff their energy supplier must ensure that their prices are within the Energy Price Cap. Ofgem determines the level of the cap every three months to reflect trends in the energy market.

British Gas: Ebico

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what action he plans to take in cases where British Gas fail to refund former Ebico customers their credit and associated court costs.

Amanda Solloway: The Government cannot intervene in commercial matters between energy suppliers, including the terms of the trade sale of Robin Hood Energy’s customer base, which included the white label provider, Ebico’s customers to British Gas. Issues relating to the recovery of court awarded costs is a matter for the courts. Under rules set by Ofgem, former Ebico customers who switched to British Gas and then closed their accounts and switched away should receive a refund of outstanding credit balances within 10 days of the supplier issuing a final bill.

Wind Power: Scotland

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with (a) EDF Renewables and (b) the Low Carbon Contracts Company on the increase in the strike price for energy produced by the Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm; and when he expects the updated Generator's Expected Start Date to be published.

Graham Stuart: Neart na Gaoithe’s strike price was increased in April in accordance with the annual strike price adjustment exercise undertaken by the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) in its role as Contracts for Difference (CfD) Counterparty. Strike prices are adjusted annually for all current CfD generators using a formula set out in the contract terms and conditions. The Government does not have a role in this process and has not discussed this case with EDF Renewables or the LCCC. The CfD Register, published on the LCCC’s website, indicates that Neart na Gaoithe expects to start generating on 1st June 2024.

Energy Bills Rebate

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what guidance his Department has issued to suppliers on the time frame within which they should pass-through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme discount to consumers who are residents in leasehold properties.

Amanda Solloway: Any intermediary in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland that was provided Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) discount should have passed this support on, in a just and reasonable way, to end users, including residents in leasehold properties. The pass-through benefit should be passed on as soon as reasonably practicable.EBRS support ended on 31 March. If the scheme benefits were not passed on to end users, the expectation is that the support will be passed on in accordance with the pass-through requirements. If end users do not believe this obligation has been met, they are advised to contact their intermediary to resolve this in the first instance. If there is still disagreement, they may pursue recovery of benefits as a civil debt through civil proceedings.

Energy: Hospitality Industry

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to create a grant scheme for the hospitality sector to help cover rising energy bills.

Amanda Solloway: Businesses, including the hospitality sector, have already benefitted from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which ended on 31 March and provided £7 billion of support. Eligible businesses will continue to get a discount on gas and electricity bills under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024. Wholesale prices have fallen significantly, and it is important that businesses continue to shop around for the best deals as energy prices will vary between energy suppliers. Businesses fixed into costly long-term contracts are more likely to receive EBDS support due to how the baseline discount is calculated.

Energy: Local Government

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much energy is generated in total by councils and local authorities per annum; and if he will publish (a) a list of the councils and local authorities which generate their own power and (b) a breakdown of the amount of energy generated per annum by each of those authorities.

Graham Stuart: The information requested is not available, as local authorities are not required to report on these matters to national government.

Department for Business and Trade

Conditions of Employment: EU Law

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 10 May 2023, HCWS764, on Regulatory Reform Update, if she will publish the advice her Department has received on the risks of legal uncertainty posed by sunsetting instruments made under EU law.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Amendments to the Bill have been laid at the Lords Report stage that will amend the operation of the sunset by introducing a schedule of legislation to be revoked. This Schedule should provide increased legal certainty and clarity for all stakeholders on retained EU law that will be revoked by 31 December 2023. These amendments were further debated during Commons Consideration of Lords Amendments on 24 May and remain part of the Bill.

Department for Business and Trade: Social Media

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information her Department holds on how many external speakers were blocked from speaking at events hosted by (a) her Department and (b) the Department for International Trade after a review of their social media activity; and if she will list such speakers blocked in the last three years.

Nigel Huddleston: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Shipbuilding: Departmental Responsibilities

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the duties of maritime and shipbuilding were transferred from the Office of the Minister for Science and Investment Security to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Aviation, Maritime and Security.

Nigel Huddleston: Responsibility for the business and trade aspects of maritime and shipbuilding is held by the Minister for Industry and Economic Security in the Department for Business and Trade, as set out on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-for-industry-and-economic-security

Supermarkets: Prices

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues about removing the promotional prices exemption in supermarkets from the Price Marking Order 2004 to allow consumers to compare unit pricing of products.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently reviewing the use of unit pricing in the groceries sector. As noted by the Chancellor in discussion with representatives of the groceries sector on 23 May, the Government will consider updating pricing rules, including by revising the Price Marking Order 2004, once the CMA review has concluded.

Manufacturing Industries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to take steps to establish a royal commission on Industrial Strategy to determine a cross-party strategy for the manufacturing sector.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: We have no plans to establish a Royal Commission on Industrial Strategy. The Government is focused on providing a competitive business environment to stimulate manufacturing growth. Delivering economic growth in key sectors remains a priority. The Chancellor has identified five key growth sectors for the UK, including Advanced Manufacturing. The Government has announced a £500 million per year package of support for 20,000 research and development (R&D) intensive businesses through changes to R&D tax credits, alongside 12 new investment zones. Earlier this month, The Department for Business and Trade announced regulatory measures that will reduce burdensome red tape and tailor rules to suit the UK economy, potentially saving employers around £1 billion yearly.

Ceramics: Manufacturing Industries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps with her Cabinet colleagues to ensure that businesses in the UK ceramics industry benefit from adequate (a) local energy network capacity and (b) infrastructure connections.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The electricity networks infrastructure is regulated to ensure adequate grid capacity through the price control. For the low-voltage electricity network price control, Ofgem has allowed £22.2bn for networks to invest, including £3.1bn for network upgrades to allow for adequate grid capacity to meet anticipated demand

Post Office: Staff

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when her Department first became aware of the use of racial classifications on official documents used by Post Office staff investigating postmasters.

Kevin Hollinrake: We can find no evidence that the Department was aware of this issue prior to the press reports on 27th May 2023.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Regeneration: Employment

Rachael Maskell: To ask Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will have discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and (b) local authorities on the potential for investment in employment opportunities through regeneration projects.

Paul Scully: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a number of issues. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are available on GOV.UK.

Microsoft: Software

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had discussions with Microsoft on the Windows 11 S mode operating system.

Paul Scully: Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-science-innovation-and-technology Data is due to be published shortly in line with Cabinet Office Guidance organisations are listed instead of individuals.

Artificial Intelligence and Life Sciences: Research

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps to support research and development into (a) advanced cultures of human cells and tissues, (b) organ-on-a-chip technology and (c) artificial intelligence.

Paul Scully: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funds a portfolio of research involving humans, human materials, animal models, and non-animal technologies. This includes a recent £5 million investment by UKRI’s Medical Research Council in two new platforms as part of a human nervous tissue resources call; and a £4.7 million joint funding call by UKRI’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research focussed on supporting next generation non-animal technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip.This complements work by UKRI including £1.6 million support for an AI in bioscience network.

Life Sciences: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's news story entitled Chancellor reveals life sciences growth package to fire up economy, published on 25 May 2023, whether the £650 million package for UK life sciences including (a) £121 million to improve commercial clinical trials, (b) £154 million to increase the capacity of the UK’s biological data bank and (c) £250 million to incentivise pension schemes to invest in science and tech firms represents new funding; and if she will make a statement.

Paul Scully: This package is supported by new and existing funding. £121 million for clinical trials includes £20 million new funding to establish clinical trial acceleration networks (CTANs). The £154 million upgrade to UK Biobank is new money, previously announced subject to business case as part of a package of R&D infrastructure projects in 2022. The precise form the £250 million government support will take through the Long-Term Investment for Technology and Science (LIFTS) initiative will depend on the viable proposals coming forward through the call for proposals. A Written Ministerial Statement regarding this package was made on 5th June 2023.

Artificial Intelligence: Intellectual Property

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made a recent estimate of the level of IP infringement being undertaken by developers of artificial intelligence.

Paul Scully: There have been no recent estimates of the level of intellectual property infringement undertaken by developers of artificial intelligence (AI), but the government is keeping abreast of developments. The Intellectual Property Office is due to publish independent research into ‘Artificial Intelligence and Enforcement: Opportunities and Challenges’. This report outlines how AI can be used to track and trace Intellectual Property Right (IPR) infringing goods, as well as assessing resulting money flows and the potential use of AI by those infringing IPR.

Cabinet Office

Former Ministers: Public Inquiries

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his Department's policy is on meeting the legal fees for former ministers called to give evidence to public inquiries.

Jeremy Quin: There is an established precedent across multiple administrations that former Ministers may be supported with legal representation after they have left office when matters relate to their time and conduct as a Minister.

Covid-19 Inquiry: Disclosure of Information

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library of the House copies of all correspondence between his Department and the Right Honourable Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip on funding for his legal representation for the official covid-19 inquiry.

Jeremy Quin: The Cabinet Office does not ordinarily publish correspondence for ongoing legal matters.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Sudan: British Nationals Abroad

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 16 May to Question 184715 on Sudan: British Nationals Abroad, how many British children in Sudan were his Department’s Assessed Person ID list ; and how many of those children were evacuated.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Since 25 April, the UK has supported the departure of 2,450 people, including British nationals, dependants, and other eligible nationals out of Sudan. At that time we were aware of around 800 children or minors on our records, not all of whom were eligible to travel or were able to reach the evacuation points in time. We were able to assist an estimated 476 British children to leave Sudan and are aware of a further 300 children since confirmed as having safely left Sudan.

Iraq: Political Prisoners

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with Kurdish authorities on the release of (a) Sherwan Sherwani, (b) Guhdar Zebari and (c) other political prisoners in the Kurdish region of Iraq.

David Rutley: The UK is committed to pressing the case for improvements in the human rights situation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), and we consistently raise our issues about restrictions on freedom of expression, in particular the conviction and sentencing of journalists and political activists. During his visit to the KRI in March the Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon raised concerns over restrictions on media freedom with senior figures in the Kurdistan Regional Government. Our Ambassador in Baghdad, and our Consul General in Erbil, also raise these issues regularly with senior figures in the Kurdistan Regional Government, including the Prime Minister and President, and meet Kurdish journalists and members of civil society to discuss their concerns.

China: Slaughterhouses

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the British Embassy in Beijing has held recent discussions with their Chinese counterparts on the reinstatement of export licences to (a) Cranswick abattoir in Watton, Norfolk, and (b) Pilgrim’s UK abattoir in Ashton-under-Lyne.

David Rutley: The UK Government believes that a positive trade and investment relationship with China is beneficial for both countries, where it is consistent with our values and national security. UK agri-food exports are an important part of our overall trading relationship with China, but we are aware of the challenges that some businesses have faced in recent years. Ministers have raised UK pork exports in recent senior level engagement with their Chinese counterparts, and our Embassy in Beijing continues to push the Chinese authorities for a swift resolution.

Hong Kong: Legal Profession

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of recent legislative changes in Hong Kong that allow its Chief Executive to veto foreign lawyers from working on cases brought under its National Security Law.

David Rutley: We have made clear our strong opposition to China's imposition of the National Security Law, which represents a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The Foreign Secretary set out those views at the UN Human Rights Council on 27 February and with Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng on 5 May. In the latest Six-monthly Report, the Foreign Secretary stated that the recent legislative changes have transferred powers once vested in the judiciary to the Chief Executive. We will monitor closely how these changes will be implemented. As the Foreign Secretary said at Mansion House on 25 April, we will continue to speak out against the clear erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

Iraq: Elections

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with Kurdish authorities on the scheduling of parliamentary elections in the Kurdish region of Iraq.

David Rutley: The UK Government supports a democratic Kurdistan Region within a peaceful and prosperous Iraq. Parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) were due in October 2022, and we continue to press the Kurdistan Regional Government to reschedule these elections to take place as soon as possible. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon visited Iraq, including the KRI, in March and emphasised to senior figures in the Kurdistan Regional Government the importance the UK places on democracy in the KRI. Our Ambassador in Baghdad and Consul General in Erbil continue to raise this issue in public and private, most recently in meetings with the leaders of political parties, the President, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in May.

Canada: Foreign Relations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had meetings with the Agent-General of Quebec in the last 12 months.

David Rutley: The Foreign Secretary has not had meetings with the Agent-General of Quebec in the last 12 months. His Majesty's Government has an excellent relationship with the Agent-General; FCDO officials will next meet her in June to discuss shared priorities. We are committed to further strengthening our relationship with Quebec, with provincial-level engagement being an important part of the UK's bilateral relationship with Canada.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Equality

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people were employed by his Department to work on matters relating to equality, diversity and inclusivity in (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

David Rutley: The FCDO has a Staff Networks Partnership Agreement to ensure our policies and operations are informed by employee insights, including on inclusion, diversity and equality, alongside quantitative and qualitative Human Resource (HR) data managed by HR Directorate. In 2021, the FCDO employed three staff members to mainly or exclusively work on equality, diversity and inclusion matters. During 2022, there were a total of four posts in the FCDO.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme (a) principals and (b) dependents are housed in UK-funded hotel accommodation in (i) Pakistan and (ii) other countries.

Leo Docherty: As of 05 June, there are approximately (i) 257 principals and 1,231 dependents in Pakistan and (ii) 10 principals and 30 dependents in other third countries assessed as eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme and in UK-funded accommodation.

Deep Sea Mining

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May to Question 184795 on Deep Sea Mining, what discussions the UK delegation to the International Seabed Authority plans to have with fellow members of that organisation’s Council on their position on the issuing of deep-sea mining licences before there is (a) sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems and (b) strong enforceable environmental regulations, standards and guidelines have been developed by the International Seabed Authority and are in place.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK is fully engaged in the ongoing negotiations, at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council and Assembly in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree deep sea mining exploitation regulations. This takes the form of intersessional meetings and discussions before, during and after the ISA Council and Assembly. The UK recognises the growing pressure to extract deep-sea resources, and is deeply worried about the potential impacts of mining activities on the fragile marine environment.

Argentina: New Development Bank

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports that (a) Argentina plans to join the New Development Bank and (b) that Bank's board of directors has enabled a vote on the matter.

David Rutley: The issue of membership to the New Development Bank is a matter for members of that bank.The UK wants to see a prosperous and stable economy in Argentina. On 25 March 2022, the UK voted in favour of a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal to restructure the country's debt. We believe Argentina's IMF programme provides the best vehicle for macroeconomic stability, and we expect Argentina to continue to honour its commitments as part of that agreement.

Mexico: Fresnillo

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with the Mexican Government on the enforcement of court order 297/2019 by Agrarian Court No. 28 against Penmont and in favour of the El Bajio community based in Sonora, Mexico.

David Rutley: Officials from the FCDO have not held discussions with the Mexican Government on the enforcement of this court order.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Inland Waterways: Sewage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with Thames Water on the discharge of untreated sewage into waterways.

Rebecca Pow: Ministers and officials regularly meet with water companies to discuss a broad range of topics, including sewage discharges from storm overflows.In February, the Secretary of State asked water and sewerage companies to set an action plan on every storm overflow in England, prioritising those that are spilling more than a certain number of times a year, and those spilling into bathing waters and high priority nature sites.I hold a Ministerial Roundtable on the Thames Tideway Tunnel project twice a year to hear progress on the project and this is attended by Thames Water. Officials also regularly attend the Tideway Liaison Committee meeting, which is also attended by Thames Water, as well as having other informal meetings on the project direct with Thames Water.

Textiles: Recycling

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to introduce a national textile recycling scheme.

Rebecca Pow: The Government’s 2018 Resources & Waste Strategy for England identified textiles as a priority sector for action. Our ambitions to minimise textile waste will be outlined in the upcoming document Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste, which constitutes a new Waste Prevention Programme for England. We expect to publish this in summer 2023.

Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral statement of 25 May by the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Official Report, column 495, what measures from the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill his Department will take forward as single-issue legislation during the remainder of thisParliament.

Mark Spencer: We will be taking forward measures in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill individually through other means during the remainder of this Parliament. These measures include three manifesto commitments, which we remain fully committed to delivering. These will be announced in the usual way.

Game: Gun Sports

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals on the licensing of grouse shooting in England.

Trudy Harrison: We are not proposing to bring forward any legislative proposals on the licensing of grouse shooting in England.

Women and Equalities

Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether it remains her policy to progress the Workers (Amendment to the Equality Act 2010) Bill.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make it her policy to place a preventative duty on firms to create workplaces free from sexual harassment.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to outlaw sexual harassment from third parties.

Maria Caulfield: The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill, introduced by Wera Hobhouse MP, will deliver these two legislative commitments. We are aware of concerns raised by some Parliamentarians about the balance the Bill strikes between protecting free speech and tackling harassment. However, the Government remains committed to these measures: we continue to support the Bill and are engaging noble Lords to reassure them on these points. Ultimately, as the Bill has now passed to the House of Lords, progress is now in the hands of the Lords. I and my officials are in regular contact with the Lords and Commons Whips offices in relation to this Bill.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Military Aid

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has given any military advice or assistance to Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade since January 2023.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK has given any military (a) advice and (b) assistance to Ukraine's Kraken regiment since February 2022.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had discussions with Kraken regiment officer Konstantin Nemichev since February 2022.

Mr Ben Wallace: We will not provide details of support provided to individual elements of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for operational security reasons.

Ukraine: Armed Forces

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the potential relationship between Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade and the Azov movement.

Mr Ben Wallace: Potential political affiliations of members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the responsibility of the Government of Ukraine.

Question

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support British shipbuilding.

Mr Ben Wallace: The National Shipbuilding Strategy supports our ambition to grow the UK shipbuilding enterprise and support UK jobs. Five new T31 frigates being built in Rosyth will support more than 1,000 UK jobs. The Fleet Solid Support contract will create more than 1,200 UK shipyard jobs and Type 26 will sustain over 4,000 jobs across the UK supply chain.

RFA Proteus

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answers of 5 June to Question 186296 on RFA Proteus and of 25 May to Question 186021 on HMS Venturer, when he expects RFA Proteus to be ready for operations..

James Cartlidge: RFA PROTEUS is currently undergoing conversion and will enter operations following commissioning and sea trials. She will be brought to readiness for operations as soon as practicable. The Ready for Operations dates for the first Type 31 (HMS VENTURER) and Type 26 (HMS GLASGOW) have been released as they represent a milestone in a major acquisition programme.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme were (a) received; (b) processed; and (c) had eligibility decisions made in each month since April 2021.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many decisions have been taken on applications through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme was since its establishment on 1 April 2021.

James Heappey: The information requested can be found in the table below. The data in the table is drawn from a live system and as such, is subject to change as we continue to refine and improve our processes.  MonthNumber of ARAP applications received (including duplicates)Number of Unique ARAP applications processed / Total Number of Eligibility Decisions April 20211187May 202166468June 20214,46081July 20213,726354August 202163,1792,237September 202116,50810October 20215,89749November 20214,5119December 20213,22014January 20226,384140February 20223,723244March 20222,197348April 20221,67048May 20221,90796June 20221,729394July 20221,7681,155August 20222,6841,659September 20222,1701,701October 20222,0512,043November 20221,7842,550December 20221,2842,196January 20231,3482,845February 20232,1263,280March 20231,4743,949April 20231,5002,217May 20231,0234,632  To note, the number of unique Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) applications (excluding duplicate applications) processed is the same as the number of eligibility decisions made and therefore, the answer to questions b) and c) have been answered under the same column. There are a high number of duplicate ARAP applications and when an eligible decision is made on each unique ARAP application, this will simultaneously process all associated duplicate application. Therefore, the figure for total cleared applications will be much greater.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) principals with confirmation of their eligibility for relocation to the UK under the ARAP scheme made before the end of Operation PITTING remain in Afghanistan as of 2 June 2023.

James Heappey: As of 5 June 2023, our records show four Afghans confirmed eligible prior to the end of Op Pitting remain in Afghanistan. We are actively supporting the relocation of those wishing to relocate to the UK.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many government-funded flights from Pakistan to the UK  with Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme passengers have taken off in each month since September 2021.

James Heappey: Since September 2021, 30 Government-funded flights have been organised by the Ministry of Defence to relocate Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) eligible individuals to the UK. This includes both RAF Voyager flights and civilian charter flights and therefore, the information requested can be found in the table below.In addition to the flights shown below, some individuals have relocated to the UK on commercial flights with their travel funded by HM Government.  Month RAF Voyager flightsCivilian Charter flightsSeptember 202100October 202130November 202130December 202110January 202220February 202220March 202210April 202220May 202220June 202210July 202220August 202211September 202213October 202220November 202221December 202200January 202300February 202300March 202300April 202300May 202300

F-35 Aircraft: Crew

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many fully trained F-35 pilots have been in service with the RAF in each year since 2018.

James Heappey: I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme are  waiting to be processed by his Department.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy applications were awaiting an initial decision by his Department as of 30 May 2023.

James Heappey: As of 30 May 2023, 60,280 applications were awaiting an initial eligibility decision.The Ministry of Defence continues to process ARAP applications at pace, and in May we processed and issued decisions on more applications than in any month previously. We aim to process all outstanding initial applications by August 2023.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of how many (a) principals and (b) dependents who are potentially eligible  for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme are in Afghanistan .

James Heappey: We estimate that 378 principal applicants and approximately 1,512 family members remain in Afghanistan.This figure is reducing as we continue to support the relocation of eligible Afghans and their families out of Afghanistan and into the safety of third countries at best pace.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme were rejected by his Department in each month since April 2021.

James Heappey: As of 31 May 2023, 28,790 ARAP applications have been rejected by the Ministry of Defence. A monthly breakdown is available below. A finite number of Afghans are eligible for ARAP. Based on HMG records, we estimate there are approximately 378 Afghans eligible for ARAP remaining in Afghanistan. It is important that every applicant to the scheme receives a response, but we know the vast majority of applications are speculative and likely ineligible, so our priority is finding and supporting the relocation of eligible Afghans and their families out of Afghanistan and into the safety of third countries at best pace.  MonthNot eligible decisionsApril 20210May 20211June 202118July 2021210August 202137September 20211October 20210November 20212December 20211January 20226February 2022136March 2022274April 202240May 202229June 2022189July 20221,030August 20221,634September 20221,677October 20222,028November 20222,521December 20222,140January 20232,831February 20233,233March 20233,935April 20232,197May 20234,620TOTAL28,790

RAF Valley

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many highly skilled jobs are based at RAF Valley; and whether he has plans to increase that number.

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) highly skilled jobs are created at RAF Valley and (b) existing highly skilled jobs are retained.

James Cartlidge: The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) commitment to RAF Valley is enduring. It is the second largest employer on Ynys Mon and the largest single employer on the island of skilled workers with around 1,200 civilian contractors and 300 uniformed personnel based there. The MOD continues to invest heavily in the station, including investment announced in the last 18 months of some £775 million that will continue to support hundreds of skilled jobs in the local area over the coming years.

Veterans: Advisory Services

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans received assistance from the Veterans Gateway in each (a) nation and (b) region in each year since 2019.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans contacted the Veterans Gateway via text in each (a) nation and (b) region in each year since 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 June 2023 to Question 186791.Veterans Advisory Service (docx, 18.1KB)

Department for Transport

Question

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the annual cost to the economy of road traffic congestion in England.

Jesse Norman: Managing traffic on local roads is the responsibility of local traffic authorities. They are subject to the Network Management Duty, which requires them to manage their roads to deliver ‘expeditious movement’ for all traffic including pedestrians. They have a wide range of tools already available to them to manage congestion and traffic flows.

Question

Maggie Throup: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on reducing the number and frequency of roadworks.

Jesse Norman: Ministers regularly discuss a range of issues with their counterparts in other Government departments. Utility companies have a right of access to the highway to install and repair the apparatus on which we all rely. Highway authorities have duties to coordinate works on their networks and to secure the expeditious movement of traffic. The Government has introduced a number of initiatives, such as the development of Street Manager, and regulatory changes all designed to improve the efficiency of how works are carried out.

Taxis

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the viability of the private hire and hackney carriage trade.

Huw Merriman: The Department has regular engagement with taxi and private hire vehicle stakeholders and understands that there is strong demand for their services. The Government will publish revised best practice guidance for licensing authorities in due course. This will encourage proportionate regulation to enable the sector to deliver safe, accessible, and affordable services that meet the differing needs of passengers.

Public Transport: Women

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure the safety of women and girls on public transport.

Huw Merriman: As part of the cross-government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, the Department appointed two independent Violence Against Women and Girls Transport Champions, who published 13 recommendations as part of a review in March 2022. The Department is working closely with the Home Office and with the Department for Education to respond to the review to improve the safety of women and girls on transport. Since 2019, the British Transport Police has enhanced its approach to combatting VAWG, complemented by the Chief Constable’s own personal commitment.

Charging Points: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding was made available to Solihull Council for the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme for the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 financial years.

Jesse Norman: Solihull Council did not apply for On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) funding during 2022-23 and has not yet applied for ORCS funding in 2023-24. Solihull Council received £114,610 in ORCS funding during 2020-21, which helped to fund the delivery of 16 on-street chargepoints with 32 available charging sockets.

Motorways

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with National Highways on the minimum length of road allowable between two motorway junctions; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Richard Holden: I have not held any discussions with National Highways on the matter the Hon Member raises but I can assure him that National Highways follow the relevant standard for spacing and layouts of motorway junctions. Any departures from standard are considered on a case by case basis and the reasons will be unique to each location.

M6: Repairs and Maintenance

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of restoring the hard shoulder on the M6 motorway between junction 13 and junction 15.

Mr Richard Holden: On 16 April 2023, the Government announced that all plans for new smart motorways have been cancelled, recognising the lack of confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures. This means no new smart motorways will be built. We are focused on investing £900m to add further safety improvements to existing smart motorways, including constructing 150 extra emergency areas – so that people can continue to get around easily and with increased confidence. Any reduction in capacity on our motorways, the safest roads in the country, could put more drivers and passengers at risk of death or serious injury by forcing them onto roads that are less safe. Restoring the hard shoulder while maintaining capacity would be hugely disruptive and come at enormous cost.

Treasury

Capital Gains Tax: Income Tax

Anthony Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue was received from capital gains tax raised on carried interest gains in the 2021-22 financial year; and what the post-behavioural costings are for subjecting carried interest to income tax treatment in all cases in each financial year to 2025-26.

Anthony Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential cost of applying carried interest to income tax treatment in all cases.

Anthony Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential risk of capital flight resulting from the application of carried interest to income tax treatment in all cases.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of how much tax revenue would be raised by changing the tax classification of carried interest to income tax from capital gains tax.

Victoria Atkins: The Government believes its approach to the taxation of Carried Interest, which is consistent with that taken in comparable jurisdictions, is a balanced one.

Hospitality Industry: VAT

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing VAT on supplies relating to the hospitality sector.

Victoria Atkins: The Government has published the Tourism Recovery Plan to help the sector return to pre-pandemic activity levels as quickly as possible. Since the start of the pandemic, over £37 billion has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks. The previous VAT relief for tourism and hospitality cost over £8 billion. Reintroducing it would come at a significant further cost, reducing the money available to help fund key spending priorities, including important public services, such as the NHS, education and defence. While there are no plans to reduce the rate of VAT paid by hospitality businesses, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Members: Correspondence

David Linden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to respond to correspondence of 3 April 2023 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL15175, which was transferred to HM Revenue and Customs from the Department for Work and Pensions on 13 April 2023.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC sent the requested information to the hon. Member’s constituent on 1 June 2023 and replied to the hon. Member on 6 June 2023.

Ceramics: Exports

Bill Esterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value was of exports of UK-manufactured ceramic products in each year since 2019.

Victoria Atkins: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria. However, it should be noted that HMRC does not hold data regarding the manufacture of those exported goods.  Classification codes (according to the Harmonised System) are available to assist you in accessing published trade statistics data in the UK Trade Tariff. Goods moving from the UK are identified by an eight-digit commodity code. These are publicly available from the UK Trade Tariff at https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff. Ceramics can be classified under a number of commodity codes depending on the item produced. The classification codes in chapter 69 are used for ceramic products other than porcelain and china. However, there are other Tariff chapters that may also contain ceramic in them. The value of ceramics exported from the UK since 2019 is available from the above uktradeinfo website. As referenced above, the online data available does not distinguish where the ceramics are manufactured.   The Office for National Statistics do publish statistics on UK manufacturers’ sales by product (latest available 2021), of which Division 23 SIC(07) 2341 to (07)2349 may be of interest. However, these statistics do not differentiate between domestic and export sales.

Leader of the House

Immigration: Albania

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to her oral Answer to the Question from the hon. Member for Stockport on 20 April 2023, Official Report, column 386, when she plans to send details of the Home Office surgery to the hon. Member.

Penny Mordaunt: Following Business Questions on the 20th April 2023 I wrote to the Home Office to raise this matter. I understand that the Home Office has now contacted the hon. Member for Stockport to provide details of the next surgery near his constituency and that the case raised on the 20th April 2023 has now been resolved.

Treaties: Committees

Andrew Western: To ask the Leader of the House, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a committee to consider international agreements in the House of Commons.

Penny Mordaunt: The Business and Trade Committee has an important role to play in the scrutiny of the Department for Business and Trade and its public bodies, including international trade agreements. The International Trade Committee previously conducted inquiries into the Free Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand, as well as more recent inquiries into the UK’s CPTPP accession and UK trade negotiations with India and the Gulf Cooperation Group.The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRaG) provides an effective and robust framework for scrutiny of treaties that require ratification, including Free Trade Agreements. In addition, any legislation required to implement international agreements needs to be scrutinised and passed by Parliament in the usual way.

House of Commons Commission

Victoria Tower: Flags

Grahame Morris: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May to Question 185861 on Victoria Tower: Flags, if the Commission will hold discussions with its counterparts in the House of Lords on arrangements for illuminating the Union Flag at the top of Victoria Tower.

Sir Charles Walker: Arrangements for the Victoria Tower are the responsibility of the House of Lords. The Commission understands there are currently no plans to illuminate the Union Flag on Victoria Tower.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken to support people with gambling addictions; and whether the review of the Gambling Act 2007 has taken place.

Stuart Andrew: We recognise that while millions of people gamble without experiencing problems, for some it becomes an addiction with serious consequences.We recently published a white paper following our Review of the Gambling Act 2005. The paper introduces a range of proportionate measures to tackle practices and products which can drive harm and ensure that people who are at risk of gambling harm and addiction are protected. These include new player protection checks, a stake limit for online slots games, improvements to consumer redress and a statutory levy on operators to fund research, education and treatment.We will work with the Gambling Commission and other stakeholders to bring these measures into force at the earliest possible opportunity, and where further consultations are necessary, our aim is to publish them as quickly as possible.

Sports: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her department is providing support for sporting initiatives in the British Overseas Territories.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has provided for sporting programmes in British Overseas Territories in each of the last five years.

Stuart Andrew: The Government funds the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England.Sport England does not provide any funding or support to British Overseas Territories.

Tourism: Wales and West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase tourism between Wales and the West Midlands.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Government promotes Great Britain as a holiday destination to tourists through the national tourist board, the British Tourist Authority (operating as VisitBritain/VisitEngland). As tourism is a devolved matter, Visit Wales, which sits within the Welsh Government, is responsible for promoting Wales as a tourist destination.One of the key objectives of the Government’s Tourism Recovery Plan is to ensure that tourism benefits every nation and region of Great Britain. To drive the dispersal of visitors across every nation and region, the Government is investing in the visitor economy through funding for cultural and heritage organisations, investment in infrastructure, and boosting connectivity to make it easier for visitors to get around.Schemes such as the £10 million National Lottery ‘Days Out’ campaign, and events such as the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games (which included a £24m Business and Tourism programme aimed at boosting tourism numbers and spend in the West Midlands) have helped to boost regional tourism across the UK.To strengthen the structure and coherence of the regional tourism landscape, the Government is taking forward recommendations from the Nick de Bois Review of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) with the aim of supporting regional areas to better attract and manage tourists. This includes accrediting the highest-performing DMOs throughout 2023 as Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), and the West Midlands have welcomed the news that their region is one of 15 new destinations given accreditation status in April 2023, to help boost tourism.

Electronic Cigarettes: Advertising

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a ban on vaping advertisements on levels of vaping.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK. The ASA already has rules in place that prohibit adverts for nicotine-containing vapes not licensed as medicines from appearing on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and periodicals, online, and in commercial emails and text messages. Only a small number of nicotine-containing vaping adverts are permitted, and the ASA requires all vaping advertising to be socially responsible and not be placed in media targeted at under-18s or in media where more than 25% of its audience is under-18.The Government currently has no plans to further ban the advertising of vaping products; however, we are working to close the loophole allowing retailers to give free samples of nicotine-containing vapes to children in England. Additional reviews are being carried out into banning retailers selling nicotine-free vapes to under-18s, and the rules on issuing fines to shops that illegally sell vapes to children. In April, we launched a call for evidence to explore where we can go further to reduce youth vaping, which closes on 6 June. This will help us explore where we can go further to reduce the number of children accessing and using vape products. We are also examining the regulatory model for online advertising to ensure it protects consumers and minimises harm through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Online Advertising Programme. The consultation closed last year, and we will be publishing a Government response in due course.

Television Licences: Schools

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting state schools from the TV licence fee.

Sir John Whittingdale: In most circumstances, one TV Licence will cover the entire school or college. There are no additional concessions for schools or colleges, and the Government is not considering making changes to the current concessions regime at this time.The BBC is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the licence fee, not the Government, and it is the BBC that administers concession schemes.

Department for Work and Pensions

Child Maintenance Service

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average processing time is for payment recalculations under the Child Maintenance Service .

Mims Davies: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The Department publishes quarterly Child Maintenance Service (CMS) statistics, with the latest statistics available to the end of December 2022 found here.

Universal Credit: Deductions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for third-party deductions from Universal Credit were (a) received and (b) approved in the 2022-23 financial year.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for third-party Universal Credit deductions were approved for (a) court fines, (b) Council Tax arrears, (c) water arrears, (d) gas and electricity arrears, (e) mortgage interest arrears and (f) owner-occupier service charge arrears in the 2022-23 financial year.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what was the total value of third-party Universal Credit deductions for (a) court fines, b) Council Tax arrears, c) water charges arrears, (d) gas or electricity charges arrears, (e) mortgage interest arrears and (f) owner-occupier service charge arrears in the 2022-23 financial year.

Guy Opperman: Data on applications for Universal Credit deductions is not held. Data for deductions approved is provided in the table below. Table 1: Number and total amount of third-party debts registered against Universal Credit households between March 2022 and February 2023  Mar-22 to Feb-23 Number of Debts registeredTotal Amount of Debt RegisteredCouncil Tax161,900£80,090,000Electricity Arrears1,800£2,680,000Fines253,100£198,770,000Gas Arrears1,400£1,520,000Mortgage Interest10£10,000Owner Occupied Service Charges60£110,000Water Arrears46,000£55,620,000Total464,300 £338,800,000  Notes:1. The number of debts has been rounded to the nearest hundred, except for Mortgage Interest and Owner Occupier Service charges, which have been rounded to the nearest 10 due to low numbers. Total debt amounts have been rounded to the nearest £10,000.2. The registration date for debts is defined as the date the Third Party debt was created.3. Ongoing consumption deductions for gas, water and electricity are excluded from the total amount of debt. These don’t have a debt amount as they are deductions to pay for ongoing monthly usage. They should only be applied to claims with existing energy / water arrears so households with both arrears and ongoing consumption deductions will be counted in the number of debts registered in the water and energy debt categories.4. Data for the twelve month period ending February 2023 has been provided, in line with the latest available Universal Credit Household Statistics.5. Some households may have had more than one debt registered against their Universal Credit claim, so may appear more than once in these statistics.6. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.

Universal Credit: Armed Forces

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2023 to Question 175486 on Universal Credit: Armed Forces, how many Universal Credit claimants have been identified as (a) serving and (b) having served in the armed forces for the assessment periods ending on 1 June 2023.

Guy Opperman: Data is not held on the total number of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past, but data is held on those who have identified themselves so far. The way the data is collected means the claimants for whom an Armed Forces status is recorded are not representative of the UC caseload as a whole. This means it is not yet possible to produce reliable estimates of the overall number or proportion of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past. Increases in the numbers of claimants with a recorded status of “currently serving” or “served in the past” do not necessarily mean the overall numbers of claimants who are currently serving or have served in the past have increased and may reflect increases in the number of claimants for whom data is held as data coverage improves over time. The table below shows how the proportion of the GB UC caseload with a recorded Armed Forces status has changed over time. It also shows how many claimants on the caseload had a recorded status of each type. GB UC caseload by recorded Armed Forces status UC caseload monthProportion of caseload with a recorded statusCurrently servingServed in the pastNot servedPrefer not to sayNo recorded statusJuly 202251%3,00038,6002,804,20021,0002,753,300August 202253%3,20040,1002,912,50021,8002,683,400September 202254%3,20041,4003,002,50022,4002,614,700October 202256%3,30042,8003,131,70023,4002,530,000November 202257%3,30044,0003,218,30024,0002,467,100December 202258%3,40045,1003,299,40024,6002,407,600January 202359%3,50046,2003,375,00025,4002,349,700February 202361%3,50047,6003,462,60026,2002,296,400March 202362%3,60048,3003,530,80026,7002,243,800April 2023 (provisional)63%3,80050,2003,667,90027,9002,196,800 Notes: 1. Data is not collected on the Armed Forces status of UC claimants in Northern Ireland. The figures provided only relate to Great Britain.2. Percentages are rounded to the nearest percent and numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred.3. Figures may be subject to retrospective changes as more up-to-date data becomes available or if methodological improvements are made. Figures relating to April 2023 are provisional and may be subject to revision.4. Due to methodological improvements, these figures are based on the Official Statistics UC caseload definition. Some previous figures have used an alternative caseload definition based on assessment period end dates.5. Further information on the caseload definition used for the UC official statistics can be found on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Discretionary Housing Payments: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding his Department has allocated for discretionary housing payments to Solihull Council for the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 financial years.

Mims Davies: All Local Authorities (LA) will receive the same Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) funding in 2023/24 and 2024/25 as in 2022/23. Solihull LA was allocated £239,499 DHP funding for 2022/23 and will be allocated the same amount for 2023/24. This information is available at gov.uk. It can be found here for the year 2022/23 and here for the year 2023/24. Since 2011, the Government has provided nearly £1.6 billion in DHPs to LAs to help support claimants who require further financial assistance with housing costs.

Mothers: Poverty

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of mothers with children under the age of four who are living in relative poverty.

Mims Davies: The information requested is publicly available and can be found here.

Children: Poverty

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what step his Department is taking to reduce the child poverty rate among families with three or more children.

Mims Davies: The Government is committed to reducing child poverty and supporting all low-income families. We will spend around £276bn through the welfare system in Great Britain in 2023/24 including around £124bn on people of working age and their children. From April, we uprated benefit rates by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap levels are also increasing by the same amount. With 1.08 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on supporting individuals, including parents, to move into, and progress in work, an approach which is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children. The latest statistics show that in 2021/22 children living in workless households were around 5 times more likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than those where all adults work. To further support those who are in work, including parents, from 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) increased by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW. At the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced an ambitious package of measures designed to support people to enter work, increase their working hours and extend their working lives. We are investing billions in additional childcare support for parents of toddlers, investing in wraparound childcare in schools, and increasing financial support for, and expectations of, parents claiming Universal Credit. For those who are on Universal Credit, we are increasing the childcare maximum (cap) to £951 for one child and £1,630 for two or more children and paying childcare costs up front when parents move into paid work or increase their hours. This government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living which is why we are providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023-24 to help households and individuals with the rising bills. Included within this support is Cost of Living Payments totalling up to £900 in the 2023-24 financial year for over 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits and a £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment for over 6 million people across the UK on eligible ’extra-costs’ disability benefits.

Pregnancy: Poverty

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of pregnant women who are living in relative poverty.

Mims Davies: We do not collect this information; however, National Statistics on the number and percentage of people in relative poverty are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. This can be found here.

Pension Credit: Windrush Generation

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued on backdating pension credit for those who have received a naturalisation certificate through the Windrush Scheme.

Laura Trott: Claims from customers identified as being part of the Windrush scheme are referred to a specialist team for action, who will consider and apply all agreed easements in Policy regarding the usual 13-month time limit for backdating.

Pension Credit: Windrush Generation

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for pension credit were received from people who have received a naturalisation certificate through the Windrush Scheme in the 2022-23 financial year.

Laura Trott: The Pension Credit administration system does not record whether applicants hold a naturalisation certificate through the Windrush Scheme.

Suicide

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking with the Department for Health and Social Care to develop the new National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Tom Pursglove: The DWP is working closely with the DHSC on the development of the national suicide prevention strategy. This is through our membership of the National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group. To support the DHSC’s development of the strategy, we have shared the DWP’s response to instances where our customers indicate either suicide or serious self-harm in the form of our ‘6 Point Plan’.

Pension Credit

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department’s efforts to increase the number of pensioners claiming Pension Credit before 19 May 2023.

Laura Trott: The Department issued a range of communications, including via social media, in the two weeks up to 19 May to highlight the latest date that eligible pensioners could still qualify for an additional cost of living payment if they made a successful backdated Pension Credit claim.Internal management information shows that the DWP received around 21,000 claims in those two weeks, up 171% compared to the corresponding weeks in 2022. This data is based on internal management information which has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics. They are provided here in the interests of transparency.There is a strong indication that our campaign is having a positive effect with the number of claims approximately 75% higher in the year May 2022-23 than over the same period the year before.The campaign continues with the Pension Credit Week of Action taking place between 12 and 16 June where DWP will be joining forces with charities, broadcasters and a whole range of partners to raise awareness of Pension Credit and encourage eligible pensioners to make a claim.

Northern Ireland Office

Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery: Public Appointments

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the appointment process was for the Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department consulted the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission in relation to the appointment of the Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

Mr Steve Baker: As set out in the WMS of 11 May 2023 and the documents deposited in the House Libraries by Lord Caine on 18 April 2023, the Bill sets out requirements for the post holder of Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), including that they hold or have held high judicial office (as defined) and for consultation with the relevant senior judge (as defined). The Chief Justices of England & Wales and Northern Ireland and the Lord President of the Court of Session in Scotland were provided with the selection criteria and asked to identify who would be in a position to fulfil the role of Chief Commissioner of the ICRIR. Having received advice from the judiciary, the Secretary of State identified the Rt Hon Sir Declan Morgan be appointed as the ICRIR Chief Commissioner. Formal appointment as the ICRIR Chief Commissioner will only take place following Royal Assent, taking account of any further considerations and final requirements of Parliament.

Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery: Staff

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Written Statement of  11 May on Update on the Implementation of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, HCWS767, if he will set out the process by which staff appointments were made to the secretariat of the Commission; and whether such staff remain employees of his Department.

Mr Steve Baker: As set out at the time of the announcement that the Rt Hon Sir Declan Morgan had been identified, and in line with the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Guidance, a dedicated secretariat, supporting the preparatory work being undertaken by Sir Declan, has been established as a separate business unit of the Northern Ireland Office. It has a separate budget and staffing and does not report to Northern Ireland Office Ministers. Civil Servants are appointed in line with the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. As with all civil servants, those working in the secretariat must adhere to the requirements of the Civil Service Code to act with honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity. On legal establishment, the ICRIR will - as it sees fit - be able to employ persons to be officers of the ICRIR and/or make arrangements for persons to be seconded to serve as officers of the ICRIR.

Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery: Public Appointments

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department consulted the Commissioner for Public Appointments in relation to the appointment of the Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

Mr Steve Baker: The Chief Justices of England & Wales and Northern Ireland and the Lord President of the Court of Session in Scotland were provided with the selection criteria and asked to identify who would be in a position to fulfil the role of Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments does not extend to this role and a process different to that under the Governance Code for Public Appointments was used to reflect the specific requirements for the role and need for senior judicial involvement. Therefore the Commissioner was not consulted.

Ministry of Justice

Public Sector: Crimes of Violence

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether figures relating to sentencing referencing the statutory aggravating factor of providing a service to the public introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 are recorded.

Edward Argar: Sentencing in individual cases is entirely a matter for our independent courts. When deciding what sentence to impose, the courts take into account the circumstances of the offence and any aggravating and mitigating factors.The Ministry of Justice does not collect data on the use of aggravating factors.

Prisoners' Release: Domestic Abuse

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what measures his Department has put in place to monitor perpetrators of domestic abuse when they are released on licence.

Edward Argar: HMPPS have taken significant steps to strengthen practice in managing domestic abuse offenders– introducing a new Policy Framework to make expectations clear, updating training and strengthening operational guidance: Domestic abuse policy framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The Probation Service works with other agencies to manage the risks perpetrators pose on release from prison and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of victims, potential victims, and children. For domestic abuse offenders convicted of relevant sexual or violent offences and others referred based on their risk, this will be under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). The statutory MAPPA Guidance now includes a specific chapter on domestic abuse: Multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA): Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).We are investing an extra £5.5 million a year to recruit probation staff who are specifically responsible for obtaining domestic abuse information held by the police, as well as children’s safeguarding information held by councils.We are making better use of technology to enhance monitoring of domestic abuse offenders:Since July 2022, we have been piloting mandatory polygraph testing of high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators released on licence.We have rolled out tagged alcohol monitoring for prison leavers where alcohol misuse is identified as a criminogenic need; offenders may be banned from drinking alcohol or allow alcohol use within agreed limits.Later this year, we will begin our Domestic Abuse Perpetrators on Licence project to test the effectiveness of electronic monitoring on licence for domestic abuse perpetrators to reduce reoffending, protect victims - and prevent future victims.

Victims' Commissioner: Public Appointments

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to announce the appointment of the new Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales.

Edward Argar: We hope to be able to announce the outcome as soon as possible.At both Ministerial and official level, we continue to engage with the victims’ sector on a regular basis to ensure the voices of victims and witnesses are heard, while the appointment of the next Victims’ Commissioner is made.

Community Orders

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of community sentences that were handed down in each region in England and Wales in each year since 2010.

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the proportion of those given community sentences who reoffended in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: Information on the number of individuals that a community sentence was issued to based on a principal offence, principal disposal basis, from 2010 to 2022 can be found in the Outcomes by Offence tool: 2022.Geographical area presented in this data tool is by police force area. Region can be counted by selecting multiple police force areas.Information on the proportion of those given community sentences who reoffended in each year since 2010 can be found in our Proven Reoffending Tables (Annual Average), April 2020 to March 2021. Proven reoffences are measured over a one-year follow-up period and a further 6 month waiting period to allow for offences to be proven in court. Please check community orders in Table C1a.

Legal Aid Scheme: Housing

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the spending on legal aid for housing cases was in the (a) year before the commencement of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the spending on legal aid for disrepair cases was in the (a) year before the commencement of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mike Freer: The spending for legal aid housing cases in 2012-13 was £43,958,966 and in 2021-22 was £20,361,111.The spending for legal aid disrepair cases in 2012-13 was £3,932,667 and in 2021-22 was £1,158,933.

Community Orders

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of hours of community service that were carried out in each region in England and Wales in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave him on 22 February 2023 to Question UIN 125370: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

Community Orders

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of hours of community service that were not carried out in each region in England and Wales in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave him on 30 January 2023 to Question UIN 131222: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

Community Orders

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of hours of unpaid work completed at home in England and Wales as part of community sentences in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave him on 22 February 2023 to Question UIN 146986: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Equality

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Attorney General, how many people were employed by her Department to work on matters relating to equality, diversity and inclusivity in (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

Michael Tomlinson: The Attorney General's Office (AGO) receive HR services from the Government Legal Department (GLD). This includes equality, diversity, and inclusivity roles and therefore the AGO does not hold this information.